Adjacent Words

Credit definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CREDIT, n. [L., See Creed.]
1. Belief; faith; a reliance or resting of the mind on the truth of something said or done. We give credit to a mans declaration, when the mind rests on the truth of it, without doubt or suspicion, which is attended with wavering. We give credit to testimony or to a report, when we rely on its truth and certainty.
2. Reputation derived from the confidence of others. Esteem; estimation; good opinion founded on a belief of a mans veracity, integrity, abilities and virtue; as a physician in high credit with his brethren. Hence,
3. Honor; reputation; estimation; applied to men or things. A man gains no credit by profaneness; and a poem may lose no credit by criticism. The credit of a man depends on his virtues; the credit of his writings, on their worth.
4. That which procures or is entitled to belief; testimony; authority derived from ones character, or from the confidence of others. We believe a story on the credit of the narrator. We believe a story on the credit of the narrator. We believe in miracles on the credit of inspired men. We trust to the credit of assertion, made by a man of known veracity.
5. Influence derived from the reputation of veracity or integrity, or from the good opinion or confidence of others; interest; power derived from weight of character, from friendship, fidelity or other cause. A minister may have great credit with a prince. He may employ his credit to good or evil purposes. A man uses his credit with a friend; a servant, with his master.
6. In commerce, trust; transfer of goods in confidence of future payment. When the merchant gives a credit, he sells his wares on an expressed or implied promise that the purchaser will pay for them at a future time. The seller believes in the solvability and probity of the purchaser, and delivers his goods on that belief or trust; or he delivers them on the credit or reputation of the purchaser. The purchaser takes what is sold, on credit. In like manner, money is loaned on the credit of the borrower.
7. The capacity of being trusted; or the reputation of solvency and probity which entitles a man to be trusted. A customer has good credit or no credit with a merchant.
8. In book-keeping, the side of an account in which payment is entered; opposed to debit. This article is carried to ones credit, and that to his debit. We speak of the credit side of an account.
9. Public credit, the confidence which men entertain in the ability and disposition of a nation, to make good its engagements with its creditors; or the estimation in which individuals hold the public promises of payment, whether such promises are expressed or implied. The term is also applied to the general credit of individuals in a nation; when merchants and others are wealthy, and punctual in fulfilling engagements; or when they transact business with honor fidelity; or when transfers of property are made with ease for ready payment. So we speak of the credit of a bank, when general confidence is placed in its ability to redeem its notes; and the credit of a mercantile house rests on its supposed ability and probity, which induce men to trust to its engagements.
Cherish public credit.
When the public credit is questionable, it raises the premium on loans.
10. The notes or bills which are issued by the public or by corporations or individuals, which circulate on the confidence of men in the ability and disposition in those who issue them, to redeem them. They are sometimes called bills of credit.
11. The time given for payment for lands or goods sold on trust; as a long credit, or a short credit.
12. A sum of money due to any person; any thing valuable standing on the creditor side of an account. A has a credit on the books of B. The credits are more than balanced by the debits.
[In this sense, the word has the plural number.]
CREDIT, v.t. [from the Noun.]
1. To believe; to confide in the truth of; as, to credit a report, or the man who tells it.
2. To trust; to sell or loan in confidence of future payment; as, to credit goods or money.
3. To procure credit or honor; to do credit; to give reputation or honor.
May here her monument stand so, to credit this rude age.
4. To enter upon the credit side of an account; as, to credit the amount paid.
5. To set to the credit of; as, to credit to a man the interest paid on a bond.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: approval; "give her recognition for trying"; "he was given credit for his work"; "give her credit for trying" [syn: recognition, credit]
2: money available for a client to borrow
3: an accounting entry acknowledging income or capital items [syn: credit, credit entry] [ant: debit, debit entry]
4: used in the phrase `to your credit' in order to indicate an achievement deserving praise; "she already had several performances to her credit";
5: arrangement for deferred payment for goods and services [syn: credit, deferred payment] [ant: cash, immediate payment]
6: recognition by a college or university that a course of studies has been successfully completed; typically measured in semester hours [syn: credit, course credit]
7: a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage; "the student's essay failed to list several important citations"; "the acknowledgments are usually printed at the front of a book"; "the article includes mention of similar clinical cases" [syn: citation, cite, acknowledgment, credit, reference, mention, quotation]
8: an entry on a list of persons who contributed to a film or written work; "the credits were given at the end of the film"
9: an estimate, based on previous dealings, of a person's or an organization's ability to fulfill their financial commitments [syn: credit rating, credit] v
1: give someone credit for something; "We credited her for saving our jobs"
2: ascribe an achievement to; "She was not properly credited in the program" [syn: accredit, credit]
3: accounting: enter as credit; "We credit your account with $100" [ant: debit]
4: have trust in; trust in the truth or veracity of

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: 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 Date: 1537 1. reliance on the truth or reality of something <gave credit to everything he said> 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 <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 <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 (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 Synonyms: see belief, influence II. transitive verb Etymology: partly from ¹credit; partly from Latin creditus, past participle Date: circa 1530 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> Synonyms: see ascribe

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 (usu. of a person) a source of honour, pride, etc. (is a credit to the school). 2 the acknowledgement of merit (must give him credit for consistency). 3 a good reputation (his credit stands high). 4 a belief or trust (I place credit in that). b something believable or trustworthy (that statement has credit). 5 a a person's financial standing; the sum of money at a person's disposal in a bank etc. b the power to obtain goods etc. before payment (based on the trust that payment will be made). 6 (usu. in pl.) an acknowledgement of a contributor's services to a film, television programme, etc. 7 a grade above a pass in an examination. 8 a reputation for solvency and honesty in business. 9 a (in bookkeeping) the acknowledgement of being paid by an entry on the credit side of an account. b the sum entered. c the credit side of an account. 10 US a certificate indicating that a student has completed a course. --v.tr. (credited, crediting) 1 believe (cannot credit it). 2 (usu. foll. by to, with) enter on the credit side of an account (credited £20 to him; credited him with £20). Phrases and idioms: credit account Brit. an account with a shop etc. for obtaining goods or services before payment. credit card a card from a bank etc. authorizing the obtaining of goods on credit. credit note a note given by a shop etc. in return for goods returned, stating the value of goods owed to the customer. credit rating an estimate of a person's suitability to receive commercial credit. credit sale the sale of goods on credit. credit title a person's name appearing at the beginning or end of a film or broadcast etc. as an acknowledgement. credit transfer a transfer from one person's bank account to another's. credit a person with ascribe (a good quality) to a person. do credit to (or do a person credit) enhance the reputation of. get credit for be given credit for. give a person credit for 1 enter (a sum) to a person's credit. 2 ascribe (a good quality) to a person. give credit to believe. letter of credit a letter from a banker authorizing a person to draw money up to a specified amount, usu. from another bank. on credit with an arrangement to pay later. to one's credit in one's praise, commendation, or defence (to his credit, he refused the offer). Etymology: F crédit f. It. credito or L creditum f. credere credit- believe, trust

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Credit Cred"it (kr[e^]d"[i^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Credited; p. pr. & vb. n. Crediting.] 1. To confide in the truth of; to give credence to; to put trust in; to believe. How shall they credit A poor unlearned virgin? --Shak. 2. To bring honor or repute upon; to do credit to; to raise the estimation of. You credit the church as much by your government as you did the school formerly by your wit. --South. 3. (Bookkeeping) To enter upon the credit side of an account; to give credit for; as, to credit the amount paid; to set to the credit of; as, to credit a man with the interest paid on a bond. To credit with, to give credit for; to assign as justly due to any one. Crove, Helmholtz, and Meyer, are more than any others to be credited with the clear enunciation of this doctrine. --Newman.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Credit Cred"it (kr[e^]d"[i^]t), n. [F. cr['e]dit (cf. It. credito), L. creditum loan, prop. neut. of creditus, p. p. of credere to trust, loan, believe. See Creed.] 1. Reliance on the truth of something said or done; belief; faith; trust; confidence. When Jonathan and the people heard these words they gave no credit unto them, nor received them. --1 Macc. x. 46. 2. Reputation derived from the confidence of others; esteem; honor; good name; estimation. John Gilpin was a citizen Of credit and renown. --Cowper. 3. A ground of, or title to, belief or confidence; authority derived from character or reputation. The things which we properly believe, be only such as are received on the credit of divine testimony. --Hooker. 4. That which tends to procure, or add to, reputation or esteem; an honor. I published, because I was told I might please such as it was a credit to please. --Pope. 5. Influence derived from the good opinion, confidence, or favor of others; interest. Having credit enough with his master to provide for his own interest. --Clarendon. 6. (Com.) Trust given or received; expectation of future playment for property transferred, or of fulfillment or promises given; mercantile reputation entitling one to be trusted; -- applied to individuals, corporations, communities, or nations; as, to buy goods on credit. Credit is nothing but the expectation of money, within some limited time. --Locke. 7. The time given for payment for lands or goods sold on trust; as, a long credit or a short credit. 8. (Bookkeeping) The side of an account on which are entered all items reckoned as values received from the party or the category named at the head of the account; also, any one, or the sum, of these items; -- the opposite of debit; as, this sum is carried to one's credit, and that to his debit; A has several credits on the books of B. Bank credit, or Cash credit. See under Cash. Bill of credit. See under Bill. Letter of credit, a letter or notification addressed by a banker to his correspondent, informing him that the person named therein is entitled to draw a certain sum of money; when addressed to several different correspondents, or when the money can be drawn in fractional sums in several different places, it is called a circular letter of credit. Public credit. (a) The reputation of, or general confidence in, the ability or readiness of a government to fulfill its pecuniary engagements. (b) The ability and fidelity of merchants or others who owe largely in a community. He touched the dead corpse of Public Credit, and it sprung upon its feet. --D. Webster.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(credits, crediting, credited) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you are allowed credit, you are allowed to pay for goods or services several weeks or months after you have received them. The group can't get credit to buy farming machinery... You can ask a dealer for a discount whether you pay cash or buy on credit. N-UNCOUNT: oft on N 2. If someone or their bank account is in credit, their bank account has money in it. (mainly BRIT) The idea that I could be charged when I'm in credit makes me very angry... Interest is payable on credit balances. N-UNCOUNT: in N, N n 3. When a sum of money is credited to an account, the bank adds that sum of money to the total in the account. She noticed that only $80,000 had been credited to her account... Midland decided to change the way it credited payments to accounts... Interest is calculated daily and credited once a year, on 1 April. ? debit VERB: be V-ed to n, V n to n, be V-ed, also V n 4. A credit is a sum of money which is added to an account. The statement of total debits and credits is known as a balance. ? debit N-COUNT 5. A credit is an amount of money that is given to someone. Senator Bill Bradley outlined his own tax cut, giving families $350 in tax credits per child... = allowance N-COUNT 6. If you get the credit for something good, people praise you because you are responsible for it, or are thought to be responsible for it. It would be wrong for us to take all the credit... Some of the credit for her relaxed manner must go to Andy. ? blame N-UNCOUNT: oft the N for n/-ing 7. If people credit someone with an achievement or if it is credited to them, people say or believe that they were responsible for it. The staff are crediting him with having saved Hythe's life... The screenplay for 'Gabriel Over the White House' is credited to Carey Wilson. VERB: V n with -ing/n, be V-ed to n, also V n to n 8. If you credit someone with a quality, you believe or say that they have it. I wonder why you can't credit him with the same generosity of spirit... VERB: V n with n 9. If you say that someone is a credit to someone or something, you mean that their qualities or achievements will make people have a good opinion of the person or thing mentioned. He is one of the greatest British players of recent times and is a credit to his profession. ? disgrace N-SING: a N to n 10. The list of people who helped to make a film, a CD, or a television programme is called the credits. N-COUNT: usu pl 11. A credit is a successfully completed part of a higher education course. At some universities and colleges you need a certain number of credits to be awarded a degree. N-COUNT 12. If you say that something does someone credit, you mean that they should be praised or admired because of it. You're a nice girl, Lettie, and your kind heart does you credit. PHRASE: V inflects 13. To give someone credit for a good quality means to believe that they have it. Bratbakk had more ability than the media gave him credit for. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 14. You say on the credit side in order to introduce one or more good things about a situation or person, usually when you have already mentioned the bad things about them. On the credit side, he's always been wonderful with his mother. PHRASE: PHR with cl 15. If something is to someone's credit, they deserve praise for it. She had managed to pull herself together and, to her credit, continued to look upon life as a positive experience... PHRASE: PHR with cl, it v-link PHR that 16. If you already have one or more achievements to your credit, you have achieved them. I have twenty novels and countless magazine stories to my credit. PHRASE

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kred'-it (pisteuein; 1 Macc 10:46 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "gave no credence"; The Wisdom of Solomon 18:6 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "trusted"; 1 Macc 1:30 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "credence"): In the modern commercial sense the noun "credit" does not occur in the canonical Scriptures or in the Apocrypha.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Belief, trust, faith, confidence, credence, reliance. 2. Reputableness, esteem, regard, good repute, good reputation, high character. 3. Influence (of a good name), power. 4. Merit, honor, proof of desert. 5. Trust (in future payment), loan. 6. Money due, securities, evidence of debt (on the part of others). II. v. a. 1. Believe, give faith to, put faith in, rely upon, confide in, doubt not, make no doubt of, take upon credit. 2. Place to the credit of, carry to the credit of one's account, enter upon the credit side. 3. Trust (for future payment), loan (on trust or security).

Foolish Dictionary

Something for nothing. (See CREDITOR)

Moby Thesaurus

accept, accept for gospel, accept implicitly, acceptability, acceptation, acception, acclaim, account, account for, accounting for, accredit, accredit with, accrete to, acknowledge, acknowledgment, acquiescence, answerability, application, apply to, approbation, approval, arrogation, ascendancy, ascribe, ascribe to, ascription, assign, assign to, assignation, assignment, assurance, assuredness, attach to, attachment, attribute, attribute to, attribution, authority, avails, balance, balance the books, be certain, belief, believability, believableness, believe, believe without reservation, benediction, blame, blame for, blame on, bless, book, box office, bring home to, buy, capitalize, carry, carry over, cast up accounts, certainty, charge, charge off, charge on, charge to, charisma, charm, close out, close the books, clout, cognizance, commendation, commissions, conceivability, confess, confidence, connect with, connection with, consequence, consider, consideration, control, credence, credibility, credit with, crediting, credits, credulity, debit, deem, deficit, depend on, dependability, dependence, derivation from, difference, discrepancy, disposable income, distinction, dividend, dividends, docket, dominance, domination, double entry, due, earned income, earnings, effect, eminence, enchantment, enter, entry, epact, esteem, estimation, etiology, faith, faithfulness, fasten upon, father upon, favor, feel, fix on, fix upon, force, gains, gate, gate receipts, get, give credit, give faith to, give thanks, glory, good feeling, grace, great honor, gross, gross income, gross receipts, hang on, hold, honesty, honor, hope, hymn, importance, imputation, impute, impute to, incidental power, income, influence, influentiality, insinuation, intake, item, journalize, keep books, lay, lay to, leadership, leverage, log, magnetism, make, make acknowledgments of, make an entry, mastery, merit, minute, moment, net, net income, net receipts, notation, note, offer thanks, ornament, output, paean, palaetiology, personality, persuasion, pin on, pinpoint, place upon, placement, plausibility, point to, post, post up, potency, power, praise, prayer of thanks, predominance, preponderance, pressure, prestige, probity, proceeds, produce, profits, purchase, put faith in, receipt, receipts, receivables, receive, reception, recognition, recognize, refer, refer to, reference to, regard, reign, reliability, reliance, reliance on, rely on, remainder, render credit, render thanks, repute, respect, responsibility, return thanks, returns, revenue, right, royalties, rule, saddle on, saddle with, saddling, say, sense, set down to, set store by, settle upon, single entry, solvency, stock, store, strike a balance, suasion, subtle influence, suggestion, supremacy, sureness, surety, surplus, suspension of disbelief, swallow, sway, take, take for granted, take on faith, take on trust, take stock in, take-in, takings, tenability, thank, thank offering, thank-you, thanks, thanksgiving, think, tribute, trust, trustworthiness, unearned income, upper hand, weight, what is owing, whip hand, worth, yield