street cred

noun

informal
: the acceptance and respect that one has earned among one's peers or audience by having experienced life in the street (see street entry 1 sense 5)
… the style, street cred and slang of notable Atlanta rappers like Future and Lil Baby.Salamishah Tillet
broadly : the acceptance and respect that one has earned among members of a given group
… a possible boost to her street cred with young voters … abc13.com

Examples of street cred in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That goes for the rappers collaborating with any country singer with enough Instagram followers and any country singer looking to gain some street cred by collaborating with a rapper. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 28 Aug. 2025 In that world, being rich is seen as the best way to get street cred. Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025 Lean into the ’90s with this classic, which features truly impressive heat retention through cold temperatures, a water-resistant outer shell, and tons of New York street cred. Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 6 Sep. 2024 Since moving to Sweden after his year at LSU, Duplantis has enhanced his Scandinavian street cred by embracing his heritage. Sean Gregory, TIME, 31 July 2024 His personal reservations aside, driving the Bat-mobile one more time would probably help the actor’s street cred within his own household. Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Dec. 2023 All in all, Farmhouse Inn looks and feels like a classic New England country charmer—with California wine-country street cred. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Dec. 2023 Yet instead of hurting him politically, these criticisms only magnified DeSantis’ street cred with so many Americans who wanted a champion to stand up against lockdowns. Justin Sayfie, CNN, 2 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of street cred was in 1982

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Cite this Entry

“Street cred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/street%20cred. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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