credential

1 of 3

adjective

cre·​den·​tial kri-ˈden(t)-shəl How to pronounce credential (audio)
: warranting credit or confidence
used chiefly in the phrase credential letters

credential

2 of 3

noun

1
: something that gives a title to credit or confidence
also : qualification sense 3a
the applicant with the best credentials
2
credentials plural : testimonials or certified documents showing that a person is entitled to credit or has a right to exercise official power
a doctor's credentials
3

credential

3 of 3

verb

credentialed also credentialled; credentialing also credentialling

transitive verb

: to furnish with credentials
… to credential adequate academic performance …K. Patricia Cross
journalists who have been credentialed by the Secret Service

Examples of credential in a Sentence

Noun My experience as a manager is my strongest credential.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
PayPal Accounts Breached in Large-Scale Credential Stuffing Attack PayPal is sending out data breach notifications to thousands of users who had their accounts accessed through credential stuffing attacks that exposed some personal data. Bill Hardekopf, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023 To get into legitimate accounts a bot may be designed to guess passwords, which is called credential cracking. Emma Fox, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2023 One such piece of equipment, called a credential authentication technology (CAT) scanner, is programmed to automatically match traveler's ID information to flight manifests. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 June 2022 Current versions of Desktop and Atom are unaffected by the credential theft. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 30 Jan. 2023 In August, Conway achieved the credential in two of the three EL areas. San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2023 And less than a third of them — only 29% — were successfully earning a credential or degree. Dallas News, 12 Aug. 2022 According to a PayPal notice of security incident, attackers gained unauthorized access to the accounts of thousands of users between December 6 and December 8, 2022, using a credential-stuffing attack. WIRED, 21 Jan. 2023 The programs were poorly connected to college classes or work credential programs. Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 23 Dec. 2022
Noun
Levin has solid liberal credentials and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which are regular points of attack for Republicans. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 The big ones are establishment institutions that aim to govern and to regulate, to maintain credentials and decorum. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 Visit Bentonville said hosting the high-profile event is both an economic boom and a chance for the city to cement its cycling credentials. Alyssa Wilmoth, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Two other gatherings popped up in its place, as backers of former chair Kristina Karamo – who still claims to be the rightful Michigan GOP party leader – met after being refused credentials to the Grand Rapids convention for missing the registration deadline. USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 Head Start teachers — 70% of whom have bachelor’s degrees — earn $39,000 a year on average, far less than public school teachers with similar credentials. Moriah Balingit, Quartz, 3 Mar. 2024 Four years ago, the two candidates running to represent the Hollywood Hills on the Los Angeles City Council spent several months trying to show who had the strongest credentials as political progressives. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 The experience padded his credentials in government relations, which have come in handy with his role aiding Shein’s global expansion. Devon Pendleton, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 One key finding was that 68.5% of students beginning community college in fall 2014, 2015 and 2016 and subsequently transferring to a four-year institution earned a college credential (AA, BA, certificate) within six years. Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
Though many county chairs had attempted to credential delegates for both conventions, while a court ruling was pending, more than 20 only attempted to register for the Detroit convention. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 There are some, believe it or not, who would not credential Schlapp or CPAC as conservative. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 16 Oct. 2023 The hospital, Gardner said, had mismanaged its billing process, hadn’t updated its prices since 2018, and failed to credential new clinicians with insurance plans. Markian Hawryluk, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2023 Mary Sandy at the Commission on Teacher Credentialing said the agency must credential about 20,000 teachers a year to keep up with the staffing needs of districts across the state. Joe Hong, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Sep. 2021 As attendees began lining up on the stairs lined with black candles by 10 p.m., the crowds were promptly credentialed and let inside. Rob Ledonne, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2020 TruNews was also credentialed for the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, in June. Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, 22 Jan. 2020 The only constant is that a reporter or credentialed expert will authoritatively assert a theory as a fact and demonize those who disagree — only to be proven wrong tomorrow. Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 28 Apr. 2020 The problem with the raid, however, was that the department sought the warrants without fully informing the judge that Carmody was a reporter even though he had been credentialed by the San Francisco Fire Department for 16 years. Madison Dibble, Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'credential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see credence

Noun

see credence

Verb

see credence

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of credential was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near credential

Cite this Entry

“Credential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credential. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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