credit

Borrowed from Middle French crédit (“belief, trust”), from Latin crēditum (“a loan, credit”), neuter of crēditus, past participle of crēdere (“to believe”). The verb is from the noun.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɛdɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛdɪt

credit (third-person singular simple present credits, present participle crediting, simple past and past participle credited)

1. (transitive) To believe; to put credence in.

   Synonyms: accept, believe

   Someone said there were over 100,000 people there, but I can't credit that.

   • Shakespeare

     How shall they credit / A poor unlearned virgin?

   • 1952, Daphne du Maurier, “Monte Verità”, in The Apple Tree:

     She said quite naturally, as if nothing had happened, “I want you to go back home, Victor darling. You mustn’t worry about me any more.”’ Victor told me he could hardly credit it, at first, that she could stand there and say this to him.

2. (transitive, accounting) To add to an account.

   Antonym: debit

   Credit accounts receivable with the amount of the invoice.

   For the payroll period credit employees' tips to their wages paid account and debit their minimum wage payable account.

   The full amount of the purchase has been credited to your account.

3. (transitive) To acknowledge the contribution of.

   I credit the town council with restoring the shopping district.

   Credit the point guard with another assist.

4. (transitive) To bring honour or repute upon; to do credit to; to raise the estimation of.
   • South

     You credit the church as much by your government as you did the school formerly by your wit.

credit (countable and uncountable, plural credits)

1. Reliance on the truth of something said or done; faith; trust.
   • Bible, 1 Macc. x. 46

     When Jonathan and the people heard these words they gave no credit into them, nor received them.

2. (uncountable) Recognition and respect.

   I give you credit for owning up to your mistake.

   He arrived five minutes late, but to his credit he did work an extra ten minutes at the end of his shift.

   • Cowper (Can we date this quote?)

     John Gilpin was a citizen / Of credit and renown.

   • 2011 December 10, David Ornstein quoting David Moyes, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport‎:

     "I've got to give credit to Van Persie, it was a great goal. We didn't mean to give them chances but they're a good team."

   • 2017 February 23, Katie Rife, “The Girl With All The Gifts tries to put a fresh spin on overripe zombie clichés”, in The Onion AV Club‎:

     You have to give director Colm McCarthy, a Scottish TV veteran making his feature film debut, and writer Mike Carey, adapting his own novel, credit for attempting the seemingly impossible task of doing something new with the zombie subgenre.

3. (countable) Acknowledgement of a contribution, especially in the performing arts.

   She received a singing credit in last year's operetta.

4. (television/film, usually in the plural) Written titles and other information about the TV program or movie shown at the beginning and/or end of the TV program or movie.

   They kissed, and then the credits rolled.

5. (uncountable, law, business, finance) A privilege of delayed payment extended to a buyer or borrower on the seller's or lender's belief that what is given will be repaid.

   In view of your payment record, we are happy to extend further credit to you.

6. The time given for payment for something sold on trust.

   a long credit or a short credit

7. (uncountable, US) A person's credit rating or creditworthiness, as represented by their history of borrowing and repayment (or non payment).

   What do you mean my credit is no good?

8. (accounting) An addition to certain accounts; the side of an account on which payments received are entered.
9. (tax accounting) A reduction in taxes owed, or a refund for excess taxes paid.

   Didn't you know that the IRS will refund any excess payroll taxes that you paid if you use the 45(B) general business credit?

10. A source of value, distinction or honour.

    That engineer is a credit to the team.

    • Alexander Pope

      I published, because I was told I might please such as it was a credit to please.

11. An arbitrary unit of value, used in many token economies.

    To repair your star cruiser will cost 100,000 credits.

    Would you like to play? I put in a dollar and I've got two credits left.

12. (uncountable) Recognition for having taken a course (class).

    If you do not come to class, you will not get credit for the class, regardless of how well you do on the final.

13. (countable) A course credit, a credit hour – used as measure if enough courses have been taken for graduation.

    Dude, I just need 3 more credits to graduate – I can take socio-linguistics of Swahili if I want.

• (course credit, credit hour): unit

• credible

• credit in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• credit in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

• direct, triced

crēdit

1. third-person singular present active indicative of crēdō

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈkrɛdɪt/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈkreːdɪt/, /ˈkrɛdɪt/

credit (literary)

1. second-person singular imperfect/conditional of credu