credit

noun

cred·it | \ ˈkre-dit

Definition of credit

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : reliance on the truth or reality of something gave credit to everything he said Give no credit to idle rumors.

2a : the balance in a person's favor in an account

b : an amount or sum placed at a person's disposal by a bank

c : the provision of money, goods, or services with the expectation of future payment long-term credit also : money, goods, or services so provided They exhausted their credit.

d(1) : an entry on the right-hand side of an account constituting an addition to a revenue, net worth, or liability account

(2) : a deduction from an expense or asset account

e : any one of or the sum of the items entered on the right-hand side of an account

f : a deduction from an amount otherwise due

3a : influence or power derived from enjoying the confidence of another or others

b : good name : esteem also : financial or commercial trustworthiness

4 archaic : credibility

5 : a source of honor a credit to the school

6a : something that gains or adds to reputation or esteem : honor He took no credit for his kindly act.

b : recognition, acknowledgment quite willing to accept undeserved credit

7 : recognition by name of a person contributing to a performance (such as a film or telecast) the opening credits

8a : recognition by a school or college that a student has fulfilled a requirement leading to a degree

b : credit hour earned 15 credits last semester

credit

verb

credited; crediting; credits

Definition of credit (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to trust in the truth of : believe find his story hard to credit

2 : to supply goods on credit to

3 archaic : to bring credit or honor upon

4a : to enter upon the credit side of an account

b : to place an amount to the credit of credit his account with ten dollars

5a : to consider usually favorably as the source, agent, or performer of an action or the possessor of a trait credits him with an excellent sense of humor

b : to attribute to some person They credit the invention to him.

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about credit

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Synonyms for credit

Synonyms: Noun

trust

Synonyms: Verb

accredit, ascribe, attribute, chalk up, impute, lay, put down

Choose the Right Synonym for credit

Noun

belief, faith, credence, credit mean assent to the truth of something offered for acceptance. belief may or may not imply certitude in the believer. my belief that I had caught all the errors faith almost always implies certitude even where there is no evidence or proof. an unshakable faith in God credence suggests intellectual assent without implying anything about grounds for assent. a theory now given credence by scientists credit may imply assent on grounds other than direct proof. gave full credit to the statement of a reputable witness

influence, authority, prestige, weight, credit mean power exerted over the minds or behavior of others. influence may apply to a force exercised and received consciously or unconsciously. used her influence to get the bill passed authority implies the power of winning devotion or allegiance or of compelling acceptance and belief. his opinions lacked authority prestige implies the ascendancy given by conspicuous excellence or reputation for superiority. the prestige of the newspaper weight implies measurable or decisive influence in determining acts or choices. their wishes obviously carried much weight credit suggests influence that arises from the confidence of others. his credit with the press

Verb

ascribe, attribute, assign, impute, credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing. ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship. forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign. attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation. assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame. tried to impute sinister motives to my actions credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation. credited his teammates for his success

Examples of credit in a Sentence

Noun

banks that extend credit to the public You need to have a strong credit history and a good job in order to get a mortgage. A credit of $50 was added to your account. All the credit must go to the play's talented director. She's finally getting the credit she deserves. He shared the credit with his parents. You've got to give her credit; she knows what she's doing.

Verb

Your payment of $38.50 has been credited to your account. The bank is crediting your account for the full amount. They credited the rescue to his quick thinking.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The project included more than $24 million in public and private financing and more than $10 million in federal and state historic tax credits. — Thomas Jewell, cleveland.com, "After a yearlong vacancy, Shaker hires another locally-grown economic development director," 10 July 2019 Wildflower Studios has not sought a tax credit, state officials said. — Matthew Haag, New York Times, "De Niro and Netflix Bet That New York Can Be a New Hollywood," 10 July 2019 The financing will come in the form of new market tax credits, provided through a partnership with UB Community Development, a certified community development entity of United Bancorpration of Alabama. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al.com, "SunTrust provides $3.2 million in financing for Auburn research center," 9 July 2019 The 2020 Democratic field now teems with proposals to mitigate rampaging wealth and income inequality, from Kamala Harris’s plan to increase tax credits for low- and moderate-income families to Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax. — John Case, The New Republic, "An Economy in Waiting," 8 July 2019 Donors would get a 50 percent refundable tax credit on donations to such centers. — Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Conflict of interest? Butler County lawmaker says she won't vote on bill to help her nonprofit's donors," 8 July 2019 The state, in turn, offered up to $26 million in tax credits for job creation and capital investment to DuPont on behalf of the soon-to-be-formed Corteva. — Alexandria Burris, Indianapolis Star, "Indy spent $30M to keep Corteva’s 1,000-plus jobs, but company cagey about the future," 7 July 2019 Since Congress passed a tax credit in 2006, the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) says that the industry has been averaging an annual growth rate of 50 percent in the last decade. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How Solar Panels Work (And Why They're Taking Over the World)," 6 July 2019 Prime members can get $5 in credits back after spending $20 on ebooks. — Cameron Faulkner, The Verge, "4K TVs from LG, Vizio, and Sony dominate this week’s best deals," 6 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The White House credits Trump for that change, but independent experts say what's happening isn't totally clear yet. — Fortune, "Who Wins and Loses as White House Withdraws Drug Rebate Plan," 11 July 2019 Christopher credits local residents Terry Johnston and Bob Plumley for the field’s proper upkeep. — Matt Nevala, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s ballparks: Palmer’s Hermon Brothers Field is an oasis of green," 10 July 2019 Manning later credited Lorenzen for preparing him for that moment in practices that season in a documentary by NFL Films. — Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, "Top moments in the career of former Highlands, UK football star Jared Lorenzen," 10 July 2019 Former Maryland outfielder Anthony Papio, who redshirted as a freshman in Bakich’s final year in College Park, credited the workouts with contributing to the 2012 team’s season-opening series win at No. — Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, "Former Maryland baseball coach Erik Bakich took lessons from Terps to guide Michigan within one win of NCAA title," 9 July 2019 Previously, the model credited Princess Diana with inspiring her style for Summer 2019. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "EmRata Just Became Your Boss in This Blazer, Bra, and Bike Shorts Look," 9 July 2019 The Archdiocese of San Antonio credits Garcia with boosting Sunday church attendance and collections at each of the four parishes where he was assigned, and with empowering lay leaders, expanding ministries and creating new ones. — Scott Huddleston, ExpressNews.com, "Father David’s role grew from San Antonio parish priest to major community leader," 8 July 2019 In his introductory remarks, Brooks credited the Beatles for exposing a broad Western audience to Indian classical music. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "The show must go on — just not in Escondido," 29 June 2019 Years into the program, however, many credited Buttigieg with listening to their concerns and altering course to help qualified property owners fix, instead of lose, their houses. — Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, "A fatal police shooting has upended Mayor Pete Buttigieg's campaign. Here's what you need to know.," 24 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'credit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for credit

Noun

Middle French, from Old Italian credito, from Latin creditum something entrusted to another, loan, from neuter of creditus, past participle of credere to believe, entrust — more at creed

Verb

partly from credit entry 1; partly from Latin creditus, past participle — see credit entry 1

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Dictionary Entries near credit

Statistics for credit

Last Updated

14 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for credit

The first known use of credit was in 1529

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More Definitions for credit

credit

noun

Financial Definition of credit

What It Is

Credit is an agreement whereby a financial institution agrees to lend a borrower a maximum amount of money over a given time period. Interest is typically charged on the outstanding balance.

In the accounting world, a credit is also a journal entry reflecting an increase in assets.

How It Works

Credit cards and home equity lines are examples of credit. Your bar tab is another form of credit.

Not all lines of credit are alike. The borrower's creditworthiness and relationship with the lender affect the terms of the lending agreement, as does bank competition, prevailing market conditions and the size of the line in question. Some lenders apply fixed amortization rates to outstanding balances on a line of credit, while some permit interest-only payments for a time, followed by a lump-sum payment of the principal. If the lender has the right to demand repayment at any time, this is called demand credit.

As with any debt, a wide array of specific terms and requirements may apply to a line of credit. It is common in a revolving line of credit, for example, for the lender to charge a company a commitment fee to keep the unborrowed portion of the line available to the borrower. Lenders also may require a compensating balance, liens on the borrower's assets or collateral on a percentage of the line. This is called securing the line. Some lines of credit are unsecured and are thus not backed by specific assets (this often the case with credit cards). Interest rates on unsecured lines are generally higher than secured lines to compensate the lender for the added risk in the event of a default.

Why It Matters

Credit gives borrowers the ability to purchase goods and services (or for companies, credit gives borrowers the ability to invest in projects) that they normally might not be able to afford. By lending the money, creditors make money by charging interest while helping borrowers pursue their projects. However, as many people have learned the hard way, taking on too much debt can cause a lifetime of damage.

Source: Investing Answers

credit

noun

English Language Learners Definition of credit

(Entry 1 of 2)

: money that a bank or business will allow a person to use and then pay back in the future

: a record of how well you have paid your bills in the past

: an amount of money that is added to an account

credit

verb

English Language Learners Definition of credit (Entry 2 of 2)

: to add (an amount of money) to a total

: to add money to (an account)

: to give honor or recognition to (someone or something) for doing something or for making something happen

See the full definition for credit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

credit

noun

cred·it | \ ˈkre-dət

Kids Definition of credit

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : recognition or honor received for some quality or work A doctor was given credit for the discovery. She got extra credit for her report.

2 : the balance in an account in a person's favor

3 : money or goods or services allowed to a person by a bank or business with the expectation of payment later

4 : good reputation especially for honesty : high standing

5 : a source of honor or pride You are a credit to your school.

6 : a unit of schoolwork I took two credits in Spanish.

7 : belief or trust in the truth of something These rumors deserve no credit.

credit

verb

credited; crediting

Kids Definition of credit (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to give recognition or honor to for something The team credited their coach for the championship.

2 : to place something in a person's favor on (a business account) We will credit your account with ten dollars.

3 : believe sense 2 Don't credit a statement from a stranger.

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credit

noun

cred·it

Legal Definition of credit

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : recognition — see also full faith and credit

2a : the balance in an account which may be drawn upon and repaid later — compare loan

b : the use of resources (as money) in the present obtained by the debtor's promise to repay the creditor in the future usually with interest as compensation to the creditor and often secured by a pledge of property or the right to attach the debtor's income in case of a failure to repay — see also consumer credit — compare debt

c : financial reputation to borrow money on the credit of the United States — U.S. Constitution art. I

d : letter of credit

3a : a deduction from an expense or asset account