creed

noun

1
: a brief authoritative formula of religious belief
the Nicene Creed
2
: a set of fundamental beliefs
also : a guiding principle
Never settle for mediocrity is his creed. Jill Lieber
creedal adjective
or credal

Examples of creed in a Sentence

central to the creed of this organization of medical volunteers is the belief that health care is a basic human right the Amish live by a strict creed that rejects many of the values and practices of modern society
Recent Examples on the Web The principle that property rights apply to all human beings regardless of race or creed is held true by both classical liberals and libertarians. Wanjiru Njoya, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2024 While both works are certainly about Christmas, the songs' lighthearted jazz has permeated pop culture to a point that nearly all of us can enjoy them, regardless of faith or creed. EW.com, 16 Nov. 2023 Rothko’s religious experiences are offered without a particular creed, just elegant form and enveloping color. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024 Stone also had contacts with the Proud Boys, a right-wing group known for street violence, and has been recorded reciting the group’s creed in a video released by the House January 6 committee. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024 This creed became his middle son’s inheritance, the core of his self-conception as the uniquely unillusioned defender of the State of Israel. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2024 And for decades, Unitarian Universalist congregations, which grew out of Christian movements, have drawn on teachings from both religious and nonreligious traditions, without imposing specific creeds of their own. CBS News, 11 Jan. 2024 And, yes, Genghis Khan permitted some degree of religious freedom, but Mongols who maintained their shamanistic faith naturally deemed all other creeds inferior to their own. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 The creed came at the suggestion of Pilots coach Harrison Trubitt, a Cathedral Catholic graduate who has guided the rebirth of the OLP program that’s less than a decade old. Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creed.' 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

Middle English crede, from Old English crēda, from Latin credo (first word of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds), from credere to believe, trust, entrust; akin to Old Irish cretid he believes, Sanskrit śrad-dadhāti

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of creed was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near creed

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

creed

noun
1
: a statement of the basic beliefs of a religious faith
2
: a set of guiding principles or beliefs
Etymology

Middle English crede "creed," from Old English crēda (same meaning), from Latin credo, literally, "I believe" (used as the first words in many creeds), from credere "to believe, trust, entrust" — related to credentials, credit, incredible

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