creed

An Orthodox icon depicting the Constantine the Great and the bishops of the First Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.) holding the Niceno–Constantinopolitan Creed of 381, an updated version of the Nicene Creed prepared by the First Council

From Old English creda, crede, credo, from Latin crēdō (“I believe”), from Proto-Italic *krezdō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱred dʰeh₁- (“to place one's heart, i.e., to trust, believe”), a compound phrase of the oblique case form of *ḱḗr (“heart”). Creed is cognate with Old Irish cretim (“to believe”), Sanskrit श्रद्दधाति (śráddadhāti, “to have faith or faithfulness, to have belief or confidence, believe”). Doublet of shraddha.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kɹiːd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɹid/

• Audio (GA)

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• Rhymes: -iːd

creed (plural creeds)

1. That which is believed; accepted doctrine, especially religious doctrine; a particular set of beliefs; any summary of principles or opinions professed or adhered to.
   • 1923, Song Ong Siang, “The Tenth Decade (1909–19): Second Part”, in One Hundred Years’ History of the Chinese in Singapore: […], London: John Murray, […], OCLC 417315791, page 522:

     For three successive years, thereafter, as the anniversary of the War [i.e., World War I] came round, equally large assemblies of British subjects of all races and creeds came together in the [Victoria] Theatre to reaffirm the resolution to carry on the war to a victorious end, until at last, after many vicissitudes, victory was secured to the Allies.

   • 1982 February 12, Steve Harris (lyrics and music), “Run to the Hills”, performed by Iron Maiden:

     He killed our tribes he killed our creed. / He took our game for his own need

   • 2017 April 6, Samira Shackle, “On the frontline with Karachi’s ambulance drivers”, in The Guardian‎, London, archived from the original on 29 June 2017:

     Pakistan is a conservative, religious state. The Edhi Foundation is unusual in its ignoring of caste, creed, religion and sect. This strict stance has led to some criticism from religious groups.

2. (specifically, religion) A reading or statement of belief that summarizes the faith it represents; a confession of faith for public use, especially one which is brief and comprehensive.

   A creed is a manifesto of religious or spiritual beliefs

   • 1604, Jeremy Corderoy, A Short Dialogve, wherein is Proved, that No Man can be Saved without Good VVorkes, 2nd edition, Oxford: Printed by Ioseph Barnes, and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne, by Simon Waterson, OCLC 55185654, page 40:

     [N]ow ſuch a liue vngodly, vvithout a care of doing the wil of the Lord (though they profeſſe him in their mouths, yea though they beleeue and acknowledge all the Articles of the Creed, yea haue knowledge of the Scripturs) yet if they liue vngodly, they deny God, and therefore ſhal be denied, […]

   • 2015, Alister [Edgar] McGrath, “Getting the Most out of Apostles’ Creed”, in Apostles’ Creed (LifeGuide Bible Studies), Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, →ISBN, page 6:

     The Apostles' Creed was not the only creed to come into existence in the period of the early church. However, it is the oldest and simplest creed of the church. All Christian traditions recognize its authority and its importance as a standard of doctrine. To study the Apostles' Creed is to investigate a central element of our common Christian heritage.

3. (rare) The fact of believing; belief, faith.
   • 1819, [Lord Byron], “Canto I”, in Don Juan, London: Printed by Thomas Davison, Whitefriars, OCLC 9665909, stanza CVI, page 56:

     Oh love! how perfect is thy mystic art, / Strengthening the weak, and trampling on the strong, / How self-deceitful is the sagest part / Of mortals whom thy lure hath led along— / The precipice she stood on was immense, / So was her creed in her own innocence.

• Apostles' Creed
• Athanasian Creed
• Nicene Creed

creed (third-person singular simple present creeds, present participle creeding, simple past and past participle creeded)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To believe; to credit.
   • 1645 March 4, J[ohn] M[ilton], Colasterion: A Reply to a Nameles Ansvver against The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce. Wherein the Trivial Author of that Answer is Discover’d, the Licencer Conferr’d with, and the Opinion which They Traduce Defended, [London: Printed by Matthew Simmons?], OCLC 946735373; republished in The Works of John Milton, Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous. Now More Correctly Printed from the Originals, than in Any Former Edition, and may Passages Restored, which have been hitherto Omitted. To which is Prefixed, an Account of His Life and Writings [by Thomas Birch]. In Two Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for A[ndrew] Millar, in the Strand, 1753, OCLC 873117158, page 326:

     Only this I marvelled, and other men have since, whenas I, in a ſubject ſo new to this age, and ſo hazardous to pleaſe, concealed not my name, why this author, defending that part which is ſo creeded by the people, would conceal his.

   • 1731, Simon Scriblerus [pseudonym], Whistoneutes: Or, Remarks on Mr. Whiston’s Historical Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Samuel Clarke, &c., London: Printed for T. Warner, at th Black-Boy in Pater-Noster-Row, OCLC 642716509, page 42:

     And ſo, no doubt, were his other Preferments as acceptable, which did require ſuch Athanaſsian Subſcriptions, &c. and which he in an Athanaſian Form ſubſcrib'd, creeded, and worſhip'd for till his dying-day.

   • [1873, John Harland, “Creed”, in A Glossary of Words Used in Swaledale, Yorkshire (Series C (Original Glossaries, and Glossaries with Fresh Editions); 4), London: Published for the English Dialect Society, by Trübner & Co., 57 & 59, Ludgate Hill, OCLC 79689919, page 45:

     'I was n't for creeding me awn e'en,' believing my own eyes.]

2. (intransitive) To provide with a creed.
   • 1872, “The Survivor” [pseudonym; Walter Rowton], “Part the Fourth”, in Hal and I. In Four Parts, London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, OCLC 32680654, page 122:

     The poor like Priests—Priests utilise the poor; / High Church the common people feeding / Exclaims—"You Low Church indolents observe / How we go about leavening and creeding!"

   • 1977, Peter Slater, “Religion as Story: The Biography of Norman Bethune”, in Peter Slater, editor, Religion and Culture in Canada = Religion et Culture au Canada, Toronto, Ont.: Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion, →ISBN, page 290:

     Especially in the studies of religions less creeded than Christianity scholars have long insisted on the importance in religion of sacred stories.

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

• creed on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• creed (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• ceder, cered, rec'ed

creed

1. (Spain) Informal second-person plural (vosotros or vosotras) affirmative imperative form of creer.