credit

noun

Save Word

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 Phrases Containing credit Learn More About credit

Synonyms for credit

Synonyms: Noun

trust

Synonyms: Verb

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Much of this credit goes to the hardworking individuals of the St. Louis County Police Department. — Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 2 Aug. 2022 But the biggest change is that the credit going forward will be contingent on where its battery materials are made. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 31 July 2022 Freeman gives a lot of the credit for making the Thompson football program successful to Alabaster City Schools superintendent Wayne Vickers along with Thompson principal Wayne Hester and athletic director Vince Pitts. — Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 31 July 2022 That credit had only been available to automakers who had sold fewer than 200,000 EVs, but that cap would be lifted under the bill. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 July 2022 From now until August 7 at 11:59 pm PT, buying the $449 smartphone from one of several retailers—including Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and Google itself—will net you a $50 gift card in the form of store credit for those respective shops. — Corey Gaskin, Ars Technica, 28 July 2022 In a video interview during the shop's opening, Emanuel also gives all of the credit to Ruks for opening a shop in Milwaukee. — Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 28 July 2022 This year’s credit is significantly larger than in 2021, when SDG&E customers had $34.60 deducted from their bills each month in August and September. — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2022 The most recent credit on his IMDb page is executive-producing two episodes of the Epix show Graves in 2016. — Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In interviews and online reviews, alumni credit the programs with either turning their lives around or saddling them with lasting trauma, with few in the middle. — Tara Bannow, STAT, 18 July 2022 Gaiman, who was born in 1960 in Portchester, England, can credit his career, in some measure, to the British new wave band Duran Duran. — Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, Washington Post, 6 July 2022 Daniel can credit the emo-rap track’s success largely to TikTok. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2022 Smith and fellow co-founder Neil Berrett credit the longevity of their business to a number of factors, including a focus on high-quality goods and deep investments in customer service and inclusivity. — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 4 May 2022 For example, if a bettor wagers $450 on Kansas to beat Villanova, but Villanova wins, Caesars Sportsbook will credit the user’s account with a $450 free bet to use on another game. — Xl Media, cleveland, 28 Mar. 2022 Japanese and Scottish whisky grew just 6% annually over the last five years — credit the US tariffs on single malt for that sluggishness. — Kate Dingwall, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2022 The Georgia Department of Revenue will automatically credit the refunds once taxpayers file their 2021 returns, amounting to $250 for single filers, $375 for head of household, and $500 for married filing jointly. — Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2022 If not, UConn will credit season-ticket holders’ accounts at the end of the season. — Alexa Philippou, courant.com, 4 Feb. 2022 See More

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

Learn More About credit

Dictionary Entries Near credit

credibleness

credit

creditable

Statistics for credit

Last Updated

5 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“Credit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credit. Accessed 12 Aug. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for credit

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.

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