CREDIT | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

mid 16th century (originally in the senses ‘belief’, ‘credibility’): from French crédit, probably via Italian credito from Latin creditum, neuter past participle of credere ‘believe, trust’

the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future

ability to obtain goods before payment

• I've got unlimited credit

an entry recording a sum received, listed on the right-hand side or column of an account

account entry recording sum received

• the columns should be added across and down and the total debits should equal the total credits

public acknowledgement or praise, given or received when a person's responsibility for an action or idea becomes apparent

public acknowledgement or praise

• he was quick to claim credit for the accomplishments of others

the acknowledgement of a student's completion of a course or activity that counts towards a degree or diploma as maintained in a school's records

acknowledgement of completion of course

• a student can earn one unit of academic credit

the quality of being believed or credited

credibility

• the abstract philosophy of Cicero has lost its credit

publicly acknowledge a contributor's role in the production of (something published or broadcast)

publicly acknowledge contributor's role in

• the screenplay is credited to one American and two Japanese writers

add (an amount of money) to an account

add amount to account

• this deferred tax can be credited to the profit and loss account

believe (something surprising or unlikely)

believe something surprising

• you would hardly credit it—but it was true