# credit

Pronunciation: say "KRED-it" /ˈkɹɛdɪt/

## Noun

1. An arrangement that lets a buyer or borrower have goods, services or money now and pay later, or the time allowed before payment is due.
   - Simple: An arrangement to receive goods, services or money now and pay later, or the time allowed before payment is due.
   - _The supplier offered the new restaurant credit, allowing it to stock up before paying._
   - _Banks extend credit to customers they believe will repay on time._
3. Recognition, respect, and admiration given to someone for what they have done.
   - Simple: Praise or respect you get for doing something well.
   - _The scientist finally received credit for her early discovery._
   - _Much of the credit for the project's success went to the volunteers._
4. A measure of how trustworthy a borrower is, based on their record of borrowing and either repaying or failing to repay. *(US)*
   - Simple: How trustworthy someone is as a borrower, based on their history of borrowing money and paying it back.
   - _Lenders checked her credit before approving the mortgage._
   - _Missing several payments can damage your credit for years._
5. A mention of a person's name for their work on a film, program, book, photo or recording; the credits are the list of these at the start or end of a film or program.
   - Simple: A mention of someone's name for work on a film, show, book, photo or recording, often in opening or closing lists.
   - _The actors' names scrolled by during the closing credits._
   - _She spotted her own name in the credit roll at the end._
6. Recognition that a student has completed a course or part of one, often counted in units toward a degree.
   - Simple: Points a student gets for finishing a course, which add up toward a degree.
   - _He transferred twelve credits from his old college._
   - _Each lab earns students an extra credit toward the degree._
7. A reduction in the taxes you owe, or a refund for taxes you paid in excess.
   - Simple: Money taken off the taxes you owe, or paid back if you paid too much.
   - _Homeowners can claim a credit on their federal return for energy-efficient upgrades._
   - _After both of his jobs withheld too much payroll tax, he claimed the credit and received a refund in the spring._
8. An amount added to an account, or the side of an account on which payments received are recorded.
   - Simple: Money added to an account, or the side of an account that records money coming in.
   - _The accountant recorded the refund as a credit against the customer's balance._
   - _When the bank reversed the late fee, a credit of $35 appeared on her next statement._
10. A unit used like money within a particular system, game or fictional world rather than as official currency.
   - Simple: A unit used like money inside a game, a system or a made-up world, not real money.
   - _Players exchange credits for in-game upgrades._
   - _Each completed survey awards a single credit._
11. Something that brings value, distinction, or honor to a person or thing.
   - Simple: Someone or something that brings respect or honor to a person or group.
   - _His honesty under pressure was a credit to his upbringing._
   - _Such dedicated volunteers are a great credit to the organization._
14. Trust or belief in the truth of what someone says or does.
   - Simple: Belief or trust that something is true.
   - _Few historians give much credit to the old legend._
   - _At first, few people gave any credit to the rumor, but the photos that appeared online changed their minds._

## Verb

2. To acknowledge that someone made a contribution to something.
   - Simple: To say or show that someone helped make or do something.
   - _The article credits two researchers with the breakthrough._
   - _Historians credit the invention to a little-known engineer._
9. To enter an amount as an addition to an account, usually in the account holder's favor.
   - Simple: To add an amount of money to someone's account.
   - _The teller credited the refund to her checking account._
   - _We credit customers' accounts as soon as payments clear._
12. To think or take for granted that someone or something possesses a particular quality, ability or feature; usually followed by "with".
   - Simple: To believe that someone or something has a certain quality or ability, usually with "with".
   - _Few people credit crows with the intelligence they actually have._
   - _She had always credited her brother with a patience he simply did not possess._
15. To believe something; to accept it as true.
   - Simple: To believe that something is true.
   - _Nobody could credit the news at first._
   - _He refused to credit the rumor until he saw the proof himself._

## Verb

13. To bring honor or good reputation to someone, raising the regard in which they are held. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To make someone look good or earn them respect.

## Origin

Latin crēdere ('to believe') had a past participle crēditus, whose neuter crēditum meant 'a loan, credit'. Through Italian credito, this became Middle French crédit ('belief, trust'), which English borrowed. The noun came first and gave rise to the verb.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/credit (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).