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.
For Puma, the Suede franchise is a chance to generate buzz around the brand without just chasing fashion street cred for its own sake. Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 22 Jan. 2026 Poor gaming street cred EA’s portfolio includes blockbuster franchises like EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA), The Sims, and Battlefield. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025 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 My scabs, which are imprinted on my kneecaps, give me some street cred, at least to me. Abby Ellin, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 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

Word History

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of street cred was in 1981

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Street cred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/street%20cred. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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