credit: Meaning and Definition of

cred•it

Pronunciation: (kred'it), [key]
— n.
  1. commendation or honor given for some action, quality, etc.: Give credit where it is due.
  2. a source of pride or honor: You are a credit to your school.
  3. the ascription or acknowledgment of something as due or properly attributable to a person, institution, etc.: She got a screen credit for photography.
  4. trustworthiness; credibility: a witness of credit.
  5. confidence in a purchaser's ability and intention to pay, displayed by entrusting the buyer with goods or services without immediate payment.
  6. reputation of solvency and probity, entitling a person to be trusted in buying or borrowing: Your credit is good.
  7. influence or authority resulting from the confidence of others or from one's reputation.
  8. time allowed for payment for goods or services obtained on trust: 90 days' credit.
  9. repute; reputation; esteem.
  10. a sum of money due to a person; anything valuable standing on the credit side of an account: He has an outstanding credit of $50.
    1. official acceptance and recording of the work completed by a student in a particular course of study.
    2. a credit hour.
    1. an entry of payment or value received on an account.
    2. the right-hand side of an account on which such entries are made (opposed to debit).
    3. an entry, or the total shown, on the credit side.
  11. any deposit or sum of money against which a person may draw.
  12. to be a source of honor or distinction for someone.
  13. by deferred payment: Everything they have was bought on credit.
  14. deserving of praise or recognition; admirable: It is to his credit that he freely admitted his guilt.
—v.t.
  1. to believe; put confidence in; trust; have faith in.
  2. to bring honor, esteem, etc., to; reflect well upon.
  3. to enter upon the credit side of an account; give credit for or to.
  4. to award educational credits to (often fol. by with): They credited me with three hours in history.
  5. to ascribe to a (thing, person, etc.): In former times many herbs were credited with healing powers.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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