give credit
Idioms-
Also, extend credit . Trust someone to pay at some future time what he or she owes. For example, I haven't enough cash this month, so I hope they'll give me credit . This use of credit dates from the mid-1500s.
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Acknowledge an accomplishment, as in They really should give her credit for the work she's done . [Late 1700s] The phrase is sometimes amplified to give credit where credit is due , meaning the acknowledgment should be to the person who deserves it. This expression was probably coined by Samuel Adams in a letter (October 29, 1777), which put it: “Give credit to whom credit due.” It is sometimes put give someone their due , as in We should really give Nancy her due for trying to sort out this mess .
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.
“Shares don’t seem to give credit for solid growth profile or tech story,” Harbour wrote.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
“I’ll give credit to Emily, Rick Devens, Christian, Dee,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
"But we have to give credit to the players. They made a commitment, they wanted to be the best in the world, and we got the outcome we wanted."
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
“So a lot of the success I’ve had I give credit to him.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025
It’s true; I have to give credit where credit’s due.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
