credo

noun

cre·​do ˈkrē-(ˌ)dō  ˈkrā- 

plural credos

: a guiding belief or principle : creed

Going forward is Iacocca's credo. If you don't go forward, he says, you go backward.

—Bill Powell

As both a gambler and an inventor, Ragozin relied only on his instincts and his talent … . Self-reliance became a credo.

—Jeff Coplon

In an age when Confucian ethics had become the official credo of the regime and the Buddhist sects were brought under strict government control, the most creative and gifted artists found inspiration in secular themes.

—John M. Rosenfield

Did you know?

Credo comes straight from the Latin word meaning "I believe", and is the first word of many religious credos, or creeds, such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. But the word can be applied to any guiding principle or set of principles. Of course, you may choose a different credo when you're 52 than when you're 19. But here is the credo of the writer H. L. Mencken, written after he had lived quite a few years: "I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than to be ignorant".

Synonyms

• creed
• cult
• faith
• persuasion
• religion

Examples of credo in a Sentence

the credo of the ancient Egyptians involved a variety of polytheism

we must abide by the simple credo that “The customer is always right”

Recent Examples on the Web

The operating credo at the outset of the Trump Administration has a transactional, Tammany Hall logic: there is no rule except power. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2025

That credo that guided both her teaching and her artmaking. —Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025

The group’s credo and military successes have led armed extremist organizations in Africa, Asia and Europe to swear allegiance to it. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 3 Jan. 2025

Post oak smoking epitomizes the cherished low-and-slow credo of the most successful Texas barbecue temples. —Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, I believe

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

credo

noun

cre·​do ˈkrēd-ō  ˈkrād- 

plural credos

: creed