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.
-
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.
“I give credit to the Clark County D.A. for bringing a very difficult cold case and getting across the finish line when every other prosecutor who considered it passed on it,” Rahmani said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
“Shares don’t seem to give credit for solid growth profile or tech story,” Harbour wrote.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
To give credit where it’s due, few films wear their bathos with such pride.
From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2026
“So a lot of the success I’ve had I give credit to him.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
I don’t care if they’re gifted and know every word in the dictionary, they still have to give credit for hard work.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
