creed
Americannoun
-
any system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief, as of a denomination.
- Synonyms:
- dogma, credo, conviction, faith
-
any system or codification of belief or of opinion.
- Synonyms:
- dogma, credo, conviction, faith
-
an authoritative, formulated statement of the chief articles of Christian belief, as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, or the Athanasian Creed.
-
the creed. Apostles' Creed.
noun
-
a concise, formal statement of the essential articles of Christian belief, such as the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed
-
any statement or system of beliefs or principles
noun
Other Word Forms
- credal adjective
- creedal adjective
- creeded adjective
- creedless adjective
- creedlessness noun
- precreed noun
Etymology
Origin of creed
First recorded before 1000; Middle English crede, Old English crēda, from Latin crēdō “I believe”; credo
Explanation
Without reading the long document about the group's beliefs — its creed — he knew he didn't fit in, because he just couldn't bow to the 12-foot statue of a rabbit, no matter what it symbolized. A creed can be a formal doctrine, or system of beliefs, for a church or religious group, or it can be a philosophy, or personal set of beliefs. The origins of the word are in the Latin crēdō, "I believe," once specific to the Christian faith, but by the 17th century it was used for many different faiths. Companies, societies, and disciplines might also adopt a creed — as in a political creed, a national creed, or a management creed — that lays out a particular belief-system or way of doing things.
Vocabulary lists containing creed
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Believe It or Not: Cred
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
People run their fingers over carved reliefs telling the rich story of a neighborhood, culture and creed, reflecting the folk art that has existed in South-Central since forever.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Therrien’s generic chapel stands not for any particular denomination or specific religious creed, but simply for the common reality of established doctrine operating throughout daily life.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
As I wrote in these pages last month, it’s deeply troubling that this creed is contested again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025
Jefferson’s Declaration established with “theological lucidity” that any person who shares its creed can be or become an American.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025
A friend once asked me how I could reconcile my creed of African nationalism with a belief in dialectical materialism.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
