Origin of word credit

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Middle French crédit (“belief, trust”), from Latin crēditum (“a loan, credit”), neuter of crēditus, past participle of crēdere (“to believe”). The verb is from the noun. Doublet of shraddha, creed.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɹɛdɪt/
• Rhymes: -ɛdɪt

Verb[edit]

credit (third-person singular simple present credits, present participle crediting, simple past and past participle credited)

1. (transitive) To believe; to put credence in.

   Synonyms: accept, believe

   Someone said there were over 100,000 people there, but I can’t credit that.

   • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s VVell, that Ends VVell”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

     How shall they credit
     A poor unlearned virgin?

   • 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, IV.iii:

     [T]he Heart that is conscious of its own integrity is ever slowest to credit another’s Treachery.

   • 1952, Daphne du Maurier, “Monte Verità”, in The Apple Tree:

     She said quite naturally, as if nothing had happened, “I want you to go back home, Victor darling. You mustn’t worry about me any more.”’ Victor told me he could hardly credit it, at first, that she could stand there and say this to him.

2. (transitive, accounting) To add to an account.

   Antonym: debit

   Credit accounts receivable with the amount of the invoice.

   For the payroll period credit employees’ tips to their wages paid account and debit their minimum wage payable account.

   The full amount of the purchase has been credited to your account.

3. (transitive) To acknowledge the contribution of.

   I credit the town council with restoring the shopping district.

   Credit the point guard with another assist.

4. (transitive) To bring honour or repute upon; to do credit to; to raise the estimation of.

   • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), 6th edition, London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, →OCLC:

     You credit the church as much by your government as you did the school formerly by your wit.

[edit]

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

credit (countable and uncountable, plural credits)

1. Reliance on the truth of something said or done; faith; trust.

   • When Jonathan and the people heard these words they gave no credit into them, nor received them.

2. (uncountable) Recognition, respect and admiration.

   I give you credit for owning up to your mistake.

   He arrived five minutes late, but to his credit he did work an extra ten minutes at the end of his shift.

   • 1782, William Cowper, “The Diverting History of John Gilpin, […]”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], published 1785, →OCLC, page 343:

     John Gilpin was a citizen
     Of credit and renown,
     A train-band Captain eke was he
     Of famous London town.

   • 1946 July and August, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 213:

     The admirable smoothness of the riding also reflected the greatest credit on those who, despite the difficulties caused by the shortage of men and materials, have succeeded in maintaining the track in such first-class order.

   • 2011 December 10, David Ornstein quoting David Moyes, “Arsenal 1 — 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     «I’ve got to give credit to Van Persie, it was a great goal. We didn’t mean to give them chances but they’re a good team.»

   • 2017 February 23, Katie Rife, “The Girl With All The Gifts tries to put a fresh spin on overripe zombie clichés”, in The Onion AV Club‎^[2]:

     You have to give director Colm McCarthy, a Scottish TV veteran making his feature film debut, and writer Mike Carey, adapting his own novel, credit for attempting the seemingly impossible task of doing something new with the zombie subgenre.

3. (countable) Acknowledgement of a contribution, especially in the performing arts.

   • 2020 November 1, Alan Young, “His first major acting credit came in 1957 British gangster film No Road Back.”, in The Scotsman‎^[3]:

   She received a singing credit in last year’s operetta.

4. (television/film, usually in the plural) Written titles and other information about the TV program or movie shown at the beginning and/or end of the TV program or movie.

   They kissed, and then the credits rolled.

6. (uncountable, law, business, finance) A privilege of delayed payment extended to a buyer or borrower on the seller’s or lender’s belief that what is given will be repaid.

   In view of your payment record, we are happy to extend further credit to you.

7. The time given for payment for something sold on trust.

   a long credit or a short credit

8. (uncountable, US) A person’s credit rating or creditworthiness, as represented by their history of borrowing and repayment (or non payment).

   What do you mean my credit is no good?

9. (accounting) An addition to certain accounts; the side of an account on which payments received are entered.
10. (tax accounting) A reduction in taxes owed, or a refund for excess taxes paid.

    Didn’t you know that the IRS will refund any excess payroll taxes that you paid if you use the 45(B) general business credit?

11. A source of value, distinction or honour.

    That engineer is a credit to the team.

    • 1836, Henry Francis Cary, The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope., The Author’s Preface

      I published, because I was told I might please such as it was a credit to please.

12. (science fiction) A unit of currency used in a fictional universe or timeframe.

    To repair your star cruiser will cost 100,000 credits.

    • 1934 December, John W. Campbell, Jr., “The Mightiest Machine”, in Astounding Stories, volume XIV, number 4, Street & Smith, page 12:

      Aside from the fact that she means nearly ten million credits investment, which no one will insure on this trip, there will necessarily be seventy-three men aboard.

    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Credits («Creds») Codex entry:

      The standard credit was established by the Citadel’s Unified Banking Act as the currency of interstellar trade. The credit has a managed floating exchange rate, calculated in real time by the central bank to maintain the average value of all participating currencies. Some regional currencies are worth more than a credit and some less.

    • 2016, A.K. Brown, Jumpstart (Champagne Universe Series: Book 1), page 19:

      «First the Patrons wipe-out our home world, now you blow any chance of us making any credits,» Kane said in his gruff sinking voice.

13. A nominal unit of value assigned outside of a currency system.

    Would you like to play? I put in a dollar and I’ve got two credits left.

    • 2012, Brian Carter; Justin Levy, Facebook Marketing, Que Publishing, →ISBN, page 178:

      Facebook Credits are a virtual currency used only on Facebook that debuted in May 2009. Ten credits are equal to one dollar. Facebook keeps 30% of all Facebook Credit transactions.

14. (uncountable) Recognition for having taken a course (class).

    If you do not come to class, you will not get credit for the class, regardless of how well you do on the final.

15. (countable) A course credit, a credit hour – used as measure if enough courses have been taken for graduation.

    Dude, I just need 3 more credits to graduate – I can take socio-linguistics of Swahili if I want.

Synonyms[edit]

• (course credit, credit hour): unit

Derived terms[edit]

[edit]

• credible

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

• credit at OneLook Dictionary Search
• credit in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• “credit”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams[edit]

• direct, triced

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]

crēdit

1. third-person singular present active indicative of crēdō

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From French crédit.

Noun[edit]

credit n (plural credite)

1. credit

Declension[edit]

Welsh[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈkrɛdɪt/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈkreːdɪt/, /ˈkrɛdɪt/

Verb[edit]

credit (literary)

1. second-person singular imperfect/conditional of credu

Noun[edit]

credit m (plural creditau)

1. Alternative form of credyd (“credit”)

Mutation[edit]

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
credit	gredit	nghredit	chredit
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

The term “credit” was first used in English in the 1520s. The term came “from Middle French crédit (15c.) “belief, trust,” from Italian credito, from Latin creditum “a loan, thing entrusted to another,” from past participle of credere “to trust, entrust, believe”.

What is the Latin word Credere?

credere (Italian) From Latin crēdere, present active infinitive of crēdō (“believe”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱred dʰeh₁- (“to place one’s heart, i.e. to trust, believe”), compound phrase of oblique case form of *ḱḗr (“heart”) and *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”).

What means Creditum?

Origin of the Term “Credit” The term “credit” originated from the Latin word “creditum” which means “what is entrusted or loaned”.

What does Latin origin mean?

Latin (adj.) Old English latin “in Latin,” from Latin Latinus “Latin, Roman, in Latin,” literally “belonging to Latium,” the region of Italy around Rome, a name of uncertain origin. Used as a designation for “people whose languages descend from Latin” (1856), hence Latin America (1862).

Is fract Greek or Latin?

-frac-, root. -frac- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning “break; broken. ” This meaning is found in such words as: fractious, fracture, fragile, fragment, frail, infraction, refraction.

Is Dict Greek or Latin?

-dict-, root. -dict- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning “say, speak. ” This meaning is found in such words as: benediction, contradict, dictate, dictator, diction, dictionary, dictum, edict, predict.

Why is debit abbreviated as DR?

The terms debit (DR) and credit (CR) have Latin roots: debit comes from the word debitum, meaning “what is due,” and credit comes from creditum, meaning “something entrusted to another or a loan.” A decrease in liabilities is a debit, notated as “DR.”

What are the different types of credit?

There are three main types of credit: installment credit, revolving credit, and open credit. Each of these is borrowed and repaid with a different structure.

What does Circumspectat mean in Latin?

en third-person singular present active indicative of circumspectō “he (she, it) looks around”

What does fract mean in Latin?

WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2021. -frac-, root. -frac- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning “break; broken. ” This meaning is found in such words as: fractious, fracture, fragile, fragment, frail, infraction, refraction.

Is Flex Greek or Latin?

-flex-, root. -flex- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning “bend. ” It is related to -flect-. This meaning is found in such words as: circumflex, flex, flexible, reflex, reflexive.

Is FAC fact Greek or Latin?

-fac- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning “do; make. ” This meaning is found in such words as: benefactor, de facto, facsimile, fact, faction, faculty, manufacture.

What does dict mean in Greek and Latin?

Quick Summary. The Latin root word dict and its variant dic both mean ‘say. ‘ Some common English vocabulary words that come from this word root include dictionary, contradict, and dedicate.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Credit (from Latin verb credit, meaning «one believes») is the trust which allows one party to provide money or resources to another party wherein the second party does not reimburse the first party immediately (thereby generating a debt), but promises either to repay or return those resources (or other materials of equal value) at a later date.^[1] The resources provided by the first party can be either property, fulfillment of promises, or performances.^[2] In other words, credit is a method of making reciprocity formal, legally enforceable, and extensible to a large group of unrelated people.

The resources provided may be financial (e.g. granting a loan), or they may consist of goods or services (e.g. consumer credit). Credit encompasses any form of deferred payment.^[3] Credit is extended by a creditor, also known as a lender, to a debtor, also known as a borrower.

Etymology[edit]

The term «credit» was first used in English in the 1520s. The term came «from Middle French crédit (15c.) «belief, trust,» from Italian credito, from Latin creditum «a loan, thing entrusted to another,» from past participle of credere «to trust, entrust, believe». The commercial meaning of «credit» «was the original one in English (creditor is [from] mid-15c.)» The derivative expression «credit union» was first used in 1881 in American English; the expression «credit rating» was first used in 1958.^[4]

History[edit]

Credit cards became most prominent during the 1900s. Larger companies began creating chains with other companies and used a credit card as a way to make payments to any of these companies. The companies charged the cardholder a certain annual fee and chose their billing methods while each participating company was charged a percentage of total billings. This led to the creating of credit cards on behalf of banks around the world.^[5] Some other first bank-issued credit cards include Bank of America’s Bank Americard in 1958 and American Express’ American Express Card also in 1958. These worked similarly to the company-issued credit cards; however, they expanded purchasing power to almost any service and they allowed a consumer to accumulate revolving credit. Revolving credit was a means to pay off a balance at a later date while incurring a finance charge for the balance.^[6]

Discrimination[edit]

Until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act in 1974, women in America were given credit cards under stricter terms, or not at all. It could be hard for a woman to buy a house without a male co-signer. ^[7] In the past, even when not explicitly barred from them, people of color were often unable to get credit to buy a house in white neighborhoods.

Bank-issued credit[edit]

Bank-issued credit makes up the largest proportion of credit in existence. The traditional view of banks as intermediaries between savers and borrowers is incorrect. Modern banking is about credit creation.^[8] Credit is made up of two parts, the credit (money) and its corresponding debt, which requires repayment with interest. The majority (97% as of December 2013^[8]) of the money in the UK economy is created as credit. When a bank issues credit (i.e. makes a loan), it writes a negative entry in to the liabilities column of its balance sheet, and an equivalent positive figure on the assets column; the asset being the loan repayment income stream (plus interest) from a credit-worthy individual. When the debt is fully repaid, the credit and debt are canceled, and the money disappears from the economy. Meanwhile, the debtor receives a positive cash balance (which is used to purchase something like a house), but also an equivalent negative liability to be repaid to the bank over the duration. Most of the credit created goes into the purchase of land and property, creating inflation in those markets, which is a major driver of the economic cycle.

When a bank creates credit, it effectively owes the money to itself^{[further explanation needed][citation needed]}. If a bank issues too much bad credit (those debtors who are unable to pay it back), the bank will become insolvent; having more liabilities than assets. That the bank never had the money to lend in the first place is immaterial — the banking license affords banks to create credit — what matters is that a bank’s total assets are greater than its total liabilities and that it is holding sufficient liquid assets — such as cash — to meet its obligations to its debtors. If it fails to do this it risks bankruptcy or banking license withdrawal.

There are two main forms of private credit created by banks; unsecured (non-collateralized) credit such as consumer credit cards and small unsecured loans, and secured (collateralized) credit, typically secured against the item being purchased with the money (house, boat, car, etc.). To reduce their exposure to the risk of not getting their money back (credit default), banks will tend to issue large credit sums to those deemed credit-worthy, and also to require collateral; something of equivalent value to the loan, which will be passed to the bank if the debtor fails to meet the repayment terms of the loan. In this instance, the bank uses the sale of the collateral to reduce its liabilities. Examples of secured credit include consumer mortgages used to buy houses, boats, etc., and PCP (personal contract plan) credit agreements for automobile purchases.

Movements of financial capital are normally dependent on either credit or equity transfers. The global credit market is three times the size of global equity. Credit is in turn dependent on the reputation or creditworthiness of the entity which takes responsibility for the funds. Credit is also traded in financial markets. The purest form is the credit default swap market, which is essentially a traded market in credit insurance. A credit default swap represents the price at which two parties exchange this risk – the protection seller takes the risk of default of the credit in return for a payment, commonly denoted in basis points (one basis point is 1/100 of a percent) of the notional amount to be referenced, while the protection buyer pays this premium and in the case of default of the underlying (a loan, bond or other receivable), delivers this receivable to the protection seller and receives from the seller the paramount (that is, is made whole).^{[citation needed]}

Types[edit]

There are many types of credit, including but not limited to bank credit, commerce, consumer credit, investment credit, international credit, and public credit.

Trade credit[edit]

In commercial trade, the term «trade credit» refers to the approval of delayed payment for purchased goods. Credit is sometimes not granted to a buyer who has financial instability or difficulty. Companies frequently offer trade credit to their customers as part of terms of a purchase agreement. Organizations that offer credit to their customers frequently employ a credit manager.

Consumer credit[edit]

Consumer credit can be defined as «money, goods or services provided to an individual in the absence of immediate payment». Common forms of consumer credit include credit cards, store cards, motor vehicle finance, personal loans (installment loans), consumer lines of credit, payday loans, retail loans (retail installment loans) and mortgages. This is a broad definition of consumer credit and corresponds with the Bank of England’s definition of «Lending to individuals». Given the size and nature of the mortgage market, many observers classify mortgage lending as a separate category of personal borrowing, and consequently, residential mortgages are excluded from some definitions of consumer credit, such as the one adopted by the U.S. Federal Reserve.^[9]

The cost of credit is the additional amount, over and above the amount borrowed, that the borrower has to pay. It includes interest, arrangement fees and any other charges. Some costs are mandatory, required by the lender as an integral part of the credit agreement. Other costs, such as those for credit insurance, may be optional; the borrower chooses whether or not they are included as part of the agreement.

Interest and other charges are presented in a variety of different ways, but under many legislative regimes lenders are required to quote all mandatory charges in the form of an annual percentage rate (APR).^[10] The goal of the APR calculation is to promote «truth in lending», to give potential borrowers a clear measure of the true cost of borrowing and to allow a comparison to be made between competing products. The APR is derived from the pattern of advances and repayments made during the agreement. Optional charges are usually not included in the APR calculation.^[11]

Interest rates on loans to consumers, whether mortgages or credit cards are most commonly determined with reference to a credit score. Calculated by private credit rating agencies or centralized credit bureaus based on factors such as prior defaults, payment history, and available credit, individuals with higher credit scores have access to lower APRs than those with lower scores.^[12]

Statistics[edit]

Share of consumer credit as a ratio of total household debt in 2015^[13]

Switzerland	Netherlands	Luxembourg	Denmark	Sweden	Japan	Latvia	Spain	Lithuania	Estonia	Australia	Portugal	Germany	United Kingdom
1%	4%	5%	5%	5%	7%	8%	9%	9%	9%	9%	10%	12%	12%
Finland	Ireland	Austria	France	Belgium	Czechia	Italy	Slovakia	United States	Slovenia	Greece	Poland	Canada	Hungary
12%	12%	13%	14%	14%	16%	16%	19%	23%	23%	27%	29%	29%	44%

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• Logemann, Jan, ed. (2012). The Development of Consumer Credit in Global Perspective: Business, Regulation, and Culture. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-34105-0.

External links[edit]

What is the root of the word credit?

The Latin root word cred means “believe.” This Latin root is the word origin of a good number of English vocabulary words, including credit, credo, and credentials. The Latin root word cred is easily recalled through the English word incredible, for if something incredible happens it can hardly be “believed.”

What is Latin code?

From Middle English code (“system of law”), from Old French code (“system of law”), from Latin cōdex, later form of caudex (“the stock or stem of a tree, a board or tablet of wood smeared over with wax, on which the ancients originally wrote; hence, a book, a writing.”).

What are the letters in the Latin alphabet?

The Classical Latin alphabet consisted of 23 letters, 21 of which were derived from the Etruscan alphabet. In medieval times the letter I was differentiated into I and J and V into U, V, and W, producing an alphabet equivalent to that of modern English with 26 letters.

Is there j in Latin?

There were no lowercase letters. For phonetic reasons, the symbols “J”, “U” and “W” were added to our alphabet during the Middle Ages. The Latin language used an “I” symbol where we use a “J”, a “V” symbol where we use a “U”. “The “w” consonant did not exist in Latin.

How is the letter V pronounced in Latin?

In Classical Latin, orthographic v is pronounced “w” and orthographic c is always pronounced “k”.

What are the months in Latin?

Legendary 10 month calendar

English	Latin	Length in days
March	Mensis Martius	31
April	Mensis Aprilis
May	Mensis Maius	31
June	Mensis Iunius	30

How were dates written in ancient Rome?

The roman calendar used three reference dates (Kalends, Nones, and Ides) and referred to dates by counting backwards from the next reference date. … The Kalends were the first of the month, the Nones were the 5th or 7th, and the Ides were the 13th or 15th.

How do you write years in Roman numerals?

For example: In the Roman numeral XII, you add 10, 1, and 1, which makes 12. If a smaller number precedes a larger number, subtract the smaller number….Roman Numerals for Years

1. MDCCLXXVI = 1776. Here, we have M for 1000, D for 500, CC for 200, L for 50, XX for 20, V for 5, and I for 1. …
2. MCDXCII = 1492. …
3. MMX = 2010.

How do you write 23 in Roman numerals?

XXIII to Integer: XXIII=23 — Roman Numerals Generator — Capitalize My Title.

What does xxviii mean in Roman numerals?

twenty-eight

What does mm mean in Roman numerals?

one million

What is Xlvii in Roman numerals?

A Roman numeral representing the number forty-seven (47).

What does LV stand for in numbers?

Roman numerals chart

Number	Roman Numeral	Calculation
55	LV	50+5
56	LVI	50+5+1
57	LVII	50+5+1+1
58	LVIII	50+5+1+1+1

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Matthew Tobin Anderson

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CREDIT

From Old French crédit, from Italian credito, from Latin crēditum loan, from crēdere to believe.

PRONUNCIATION OF CREDIT

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CREDIT

Credit is a verb and can also act as a noun.

WHAT DOES CREDIT MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of credit in the English dictionary

The first definition of credit in the dictionary is commendation or approval, as for an act or quality. Other definition of credit is a person or thing serving as a source of good influence, repute, ability, etc. Credit is also the quality of being believable or trustworthy.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO CREDIT

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CREDIT

SYNONYMS OF «CREDIT»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «credit» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF CREDIT

Find out the translation of credit to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CREDIT»

The term «credit» is very widely used and occupies the 1.571 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of credit

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «CREDIT» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «CREDIT»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word credit.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CREDIT»

Discover the use of credit in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to credit and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CREDIT»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term credit is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Credit [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/credit>. Apr 2023 ».

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