credit

1 of 2

noun

cred·​it ˈkre-dit How to pronounce credit (audio)
1
: reliance on the truth or reality of something
gave credit to everything he said
Give no credit to idle rumors.
2
a
: the balance in a person's favor in an account
b
: an amount or sum placed at a person's disposal by a bank
c
: the provision of money, goods, or services with the expectation of future payment
long-term credit
also : money, goods, or services so provided
They exhausted their credit.
d(1)
: an entry on the right-hand side of an account constituting an addition to a revenue, net worth, or liability account
(2)
: a deduction from an expense or asset account
e
: any one of or the sum of the items entered on the right-hand side of an account
f
: a deduction from an amount otherwise due
3
a
: influence or power derived from enjoying the confidence of another or others
b
: good name : esteem
also : financial or commercial trustworthiness
4
archaic : credibility
5
: a source of honor
a credit to the school
6
a
: something that gains or adds to reputation or esteem : honor
He took no credit for his kindly act.
b
: recognition, acknowledgment
quite willing to accept undeserved credit
7
: recognition by name of a person contributing to a performance (such as a film or telecast)
the opening credits
8
a
: recognition by a school or college that a student has fulfilled a requirement leading to a degree
b
: credit hour
earned 15 credits last semester

credit

2 of 2

verb

credited; crediting; credits

transitive verb

1
: to trust in the truth of : believe
find his story hard to credit
2
: to supply goods on credit to
3
archaic : to bring credit or honor upon
4
a
: to enter upon the credit side of an account
b
: to place an amount to the credit of
credit his account with ten dollars
5
a
: to consider usually favorably as the source, agent, or performer of an action or the possessor of a trait
credits him with an excellent sense of humor
b
: to attribute to some person
They credit the invention to him.
Choose the Right Synonym for credit

Noun

belief, faith, credence, credit mean assent to the truth of something offered for acceptance.

belief may or may not imply certitude in the believer.

my belief that I had caught all the errors

faith almost always implies certitude even where there is no evidence or proof.

an unshakable faith in God

credence suggests intellectual assent without implying anything about grounds for assent.

a theory now given credence by scientists

credit may imply assent on grounds other than direct proof.

gave full credit to the statement of a reputable witness

influence, authority, prestige, weight, credit mean power exerted over the minds or behavior of others.

influence may apply to a force exercised and received consciously or unconsciously.

used her influence to get the bill passed

authority implies the power of winning devotion or allegiance or of compelling acceptance and belief.

his opinions lacked authority

prestige implies the ascendancy given by conspicuous excellence or reputation for superiority.

the prestige of the newspaper

weight implies measurable or decisive influence in determining acts or choices.

their wishes obviously carried much weight

credit suggests influence that arises from the confidence of others.

his credit with the press

Verb

ascribe, attribute, assign, impute, credit mean to lay something to the account of a person or thing.

ascribe suggests an inferring or conjecturing of cause, quality, authorship.

forged paintings formerly ascribed to masters

attribute suggests less tentativeness than ascribe, less definiteness than assign.

attributed to Rembrandt but possibly done by an associate

assign implies ascribing with certainty or after deliberation.

assigned the bones to the Cretaceous period

impute suggests ascribing something that brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.

tried to impute sinister motives to my actions

credit implies ascribing a thing or especially an action to a person or other thing as its agent, source, or explanation.

credited his teammates for his success

Examples of credit in a Sentence

Noun banks that extend credit to the public You need to have a strong credit history and a good job in order to get a mortgage. A credit of $50 was added to your account. All the credit must go to the play's talented director. She's finally getting the credit she deserves. He shared the credit with his parents. You've got to give her credit; she knows what she's doing. Verb Your payment of $38.50 has been credited to your account. The bank is crediting your account for the full amount. They credited the rescue to his quick thinking.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Strong credit helped, while those companies with lesser credit often settled for buildings in suboptimal locations. David Marino, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 For extra credit, read Mallory O'Meara's excellent book The Lady From the Black Lagoon about the creature-designing Milicent Patrick. Clark Collis, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
Georgia’s shift from red to purple is widely credited to diversification in the Atlanta metro area, where the population grew by 15% between 2010 and 2020, while the white population shrank by 2%, according to the most recent census data. Sara Dorn, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 Rizzo couldn’t beat Betts to the bag, and Betts was credited with an RBI infield single that cut New York’s lead to 5-1. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for credit 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'credit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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 — more at creed

Verb

partly from credit entry 1; partly from Latin creditus, past participle — see credit entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of credit was in 1529

Dictionary Entries Near credit

Cite this Entry

“Credit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credit. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

credit

1 of 2 noun
cred·​it ˈkred-ət How to pronounce credit (audio)
1
: a balance in an account in a person's favor
debits and credits
2
: an amount or sum that a bank or company will let a person use
3
a
: trust given to a customer for future payment for goods purchased
extended them credit
buy on credit
b
: reputation for paying one's bills
check on a person's credit
c
: the providing of money or goods with the expectation of payment in the future
long-term credit
also : money or goods so provided
used up their credit
4
: credence, belief
a story that deserves little credit
5
: reputation for honesty or integrity : good name
6
: a source of honor
a credit to her school
7
: something that adds to a person's reputation or honor
got credit for the discovery
8
a
: official certification of the completion of a course of study
b
: a unit of academic work for which such certification is made

credit

2 of 2 verb
1
2
: to enter a sum on the credit side of
we'll credit your account with $10
3
a
: to think of as the source or performer of an action or having a quality
they credit you with quite a sense of humor
b
: to give the credit for to somebody or something
credited the rescue to her quick thinking
Etymology

Noun

from early French credit "reputation, permission to buy without paying immediately," from early Italian credito (same meaning), from Latin creditum "loan," derived from credere "to believe, trust, entrust" — related to credentials, creed, incredible

Legal Definition

credit

1 of 2 noun
cred·​it
1
2
a
: the balance in an account which may be drawn upon and repaid later compare loan
b
: the use of resources (as money) in the present obtained by the debtor's promise to repay the creditor in the future usually with interest as compensation to the creditor and often secured by a pledge of property or the right to attach the debtor's income in case of a failure to repay see also consumer credit compare debt
c
: financial reputation
to borrow money on the credit of the United StatesU.S. Constitution art. I
3
a
: a deduction from an expense or asset account
b
: a reduction of an amount otherwise due
especially : tax credit
a credit for child-care expenses
compare deduction, exclusion, exemption

credit

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to supply goods on credit to
2
: to trust in the truth of
3
a
: to enter upon the credit side of an account
b
: to place an amount to the credit of
credit his account with ten dollars

More from Merriam-Webster on credit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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