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Definition of credit

credit

/ˈkrɛd.ɪt/
cred · it

Adverb:creditably
•
Plural:credits
•
Adjective:creditable
•
Past Simple:credited
•
Past Participle:credited
•
Present Participle:crediting
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credit Lexical Profile

credit Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future.

Example

"She built a strong financial foundation by carefully managing her credit and paying all her bills on time."


2

Public acknowledgment, praise, or recognition given to a person for an action, achievement, or quality.

Example

"The leading scientist refused to take all the credit for the discovery, emphasizing the hard work of her entire research team."


3

A unit of academic value awarded to a student for the successful completion of a specific educational course.

Example

"In order to graduate this semester, he needs to earn at least three more course credits in the humanities department."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• verb

1

To publicly acknowledge someone as a participant in the production of something, or as the creator of an idea.

Example

"The historical documentary credits several local historians for providing the rare archival footage used in the film."


2

To add an amount of money to a financial account.

Example

"The bank promised to credit her account with the refunded amount within three to five business days."


3

To attribute a particular quality or action to someone, generally believing or trusting them to possess it.

Example

"I credited him with more sense than to make such a foolish and easily avoidable mistake."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for credit
Antonyms
View all antonyms for credit

Word Nuance & Usage

The noun 'credit' has distinct applications across finance (borrowing capacity), academia (course units), and general praise (acknowledgment). As a verb, 'credit' often pairs syntactically with the prepositions 'with' or 'to' (e.g., 'credited with the discovery', 'credited the funds to the account').

• Rhymes for credit

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle French 'crédit' and Italian 'credito', derived from Latin 'creditum' meaning 'a loan or thing entrusted', the neuter past participle of 'credere' (to trust, believe, entrust).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Credit. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/credit
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