Credit — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈkre-dit/ cred·it

Meaning & Definition of Credit

Credit (noun)

  1. reliance on the truth or reality of something
  2. the balance in a person's favor in an account
  3. an amount or sum placed at a person's disposal by a bank

Credit (verb)

  1. to trust in the truth of, believe
  2. to supply goods on credit to
  3. to bring credit or honor upon

Credit (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the right to take possession of goods before paying for them

    "because of their reputation for not paying their bills, no store will extend the family credit"

    similar: trust
    related: installment plan, layaway, charge account, credit line

  2. an asset that brings praise or renown

    "your intelligence and dedication are a credit to you, our choice for teacher of the year"

    similar: boast, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride, treasure, trophy, a feather in one's cap
    related: pièce de résistance, showpiece, attraction, feature, highlight, distinction, excellence, merit, value, virtue
    near: disgrace, dishonor, blemish, blot, defect, shame, slur, smirch, smudge, stain, stigma, eyesore, fright, horror, mess

  3. mental conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon

    "I give full credit to this report on the prevalence of cheating among college students today"

    similar: belief, credence, faith, article of faith
    related: axiom, law, precept, principle, tenet, assurance, certainty, certitude, conviction, positiveness, sureness, confidence, dependence, reliance, trust, hope, doctrine, dogma, philosophy, dogmatism, fanaticism, insistence
    opposite: disbelief, discredit, doubt, nonbelief, unbelief
    near: distrust, mistrust, skepticism, suspicion, uncertainty

  4. public acknowledgment or admiration for an achievement

    "she deserves all the credit, since she did all the work"

    similar: acclaim, accolade, applause, bay(s), distinction, glory, homage, honor, kudos, laud, laurels, props (slang), réclame, sun
    related: celebrity, fame, renown, repute, compliment, encomium, eulogy, panegyric, toast, tribute, acclamation, ovation, plaudit, praise, rave, rhapsody, citation, commendation, kudo, note, recommendation, elevation, enshrinement, enthronement, exaltation, glorification

  5. the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly

    "despite his legal woes, he has not yet lost all his credit with the administration in the White House"

    similar: authority, clout, heft, in, influence, juice (slang), leverage, pull, sway, weight
    related: counterinfluence, command, dominance, dominion, mastery, predominance, reign, scepter, sovereignty, supremacy, consequence, eminence, importance, moment, impact, impress, impression, imprint, mark
    near: helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness

Credit (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to explain (something) as being the result of something else

    "has to credit his success in picking winning lottery numbers to pure luck"

    similar: accredit, ascribe, attribute, chalk up, impute, lay, put down
    related: blame, charge, father (on), impute (to), pin (on), assign, refer, associate, attach, connect, link

  2. to regard as right or true

    "I simply cannot credit that story about the boy who was supposedly raised by wolves"

    similar: accept, believe, buy, swallow, take, trust, set store by
    related: account, accredit, understand, assume, presume, suppose, conclude, deduce, infer
    opposite: disbelieve, discredit, reject
    near: distrust, doubt, misdoubt, mistrust, question, suspect, challenge, dispute

Related Entry: Credit line (noun)

Credit line is a different word from Credit. The synonyms below are for credit line, not for credit.

  1. as in charge account

    similar: charge account, installment plan, layaway, credit, trust

Related Entry: Credit lines (noun)

Credit lines is a different word from Credit. The synonyms below are for credit lines, not for credit.

  1. as in charge accounts

    similar: charge accounts, installment plans, layaways, credits, trusts

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Credit

The most common words with a similar meaning to Credit:

Slang: props, juice
trust, boast, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride, treasure, trophy, belief, credence, faith, acclaim, accolade, applause, bay(s), distinction, homage, kudos, laud, laurels, réclame, sun, authority, clout, heft, in, influence, leverage, pull, sway, weight, a feather in one's cap, article of faith, accredit, ascribe, attribute, chalk up, impute, lay

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Credit

Words with the opposite meaning of Credit:

disbelief, discredit, doubt, nonbelief, unbelief, disbelieve, reject

Related Words for Credit

installment plan, layaway, charge account, credit line, pièce de résistance, showpiece, attraction, feature, highlight, excellence, merit, value, virtue, axiom, law, precept, principle, tenet, assurance, certainty, certitude, conviction, positiveness, sureness, confidence, dependence, reliance, hope, doctrine, dogma

Near Antonyms of Credit

disgrace, dishonor, blemish, blot, defect, shame, slur, smirch, smudge, stain, stigma, eyesore, fright, horror, mess, distrust, mistrust, skepticism, suspicion, uncertainty, helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness, misdoubt, question, suspect, challenge, dispute

Word Forms of Credit

Inflections: credited, crediting, credits

Origin & Etymology of Credit

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 creed

First known use: 1529

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Credit

Words & Phrases Containing Credit

credit card, credit hour, credit line, credit union, credit account, credit history, credit limit, credit rating

Frequently Asked Questions about Credit

What does "Credit" mean?

"Credit" means reliance on the truth or reality of something. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: reliance on the truth or reality of something. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Credit"?

Other words for "Credit" include trust, boast, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride and treasure. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Credit" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Credit"?

There are 147 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Credit". Common alternatives include trust, boast, crown jewel, glory, honor, jewel, pride, treasure, trophy and belief.

What is the opposite of "Credit"?

Antonyms of "Credit" include disbelief, discredit, doubt, nonbelief, unbelief, disbelieve and reject. Near antonyms include disgrace, dishonor, blemish and blot.

How do you use "Credit" in a sentence?

Examples of "Credit" in a sentence: "because of their reputation for not paying their bills, no store will extend the family credit"; "your intelligence and dedication are a credit to you, our choice for teacher of the year"; "I give full credit to this report on the prevalence of cheating among college students today".

Is "Credit" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Credit" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Credit" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Credit"?

"Credit" is pronounced /ˈkre-dit/ and divided into syllables as cred·it.