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Webster 1913 Edition


Credit

Cred′it

(krĕd′ĭt)
,
Noun.
[F.
crédit
(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.

Cred′it

(krĕd′ĭt)
,
Verb.
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?
Shakespeare
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 1828 Edition


Credit

CREDIT

,
Noun.
[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

,
Verb.
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.

Definition 2024


credit

credit

See also: crédit and crèdit

English

Verb

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

  1. (transitive) To believe; to put credence in.
    Someone said there were over 100,000 people there, but I can't credit that.
    • Shakespeare
      How shall they credit / A poor unlearned virgin?
  2. (transitive, accounting) To add to an account (confer 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.
    • South
      You credit the church as much by your government as you did the school formerly by your wit.

Related terms

Translations

Noun

credit (countable and uncountable, plural credits)

  1. Reliance on the truth of something said or done; faith; trust.
    • Bible, 1 Macc. x. 46
      When Jonathan and the people heard these words they gave no credit into them, nor received them.
  2. (uncountable) Recognition and respect.
    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.
    • Cowper
      John Gilpin was a citizen / Of credit and renown.
    • 2011 December 10, David Ornstein quoting David Moyes, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport:
      "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."
  3. (countable) Acknowledgement of a contribution, especially in the performing arts.
    She received a singing credit in last year's operetta.
  4. (television/film, usually 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.
  5. (uncountable, law, business) 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.
  6. The time given for payment for something sold on trust.
    a long credit or a short credit
  7. (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?
  8. (accounting) An addition to certain accounts.
  9. (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?
  10. A source of value, distinction or honour.
    That engineer is a credit to the team.
    • Alexander Pope
      I published, because I was told I might please such as it was a credit to please.
  11. An arbitrary unit of value, used in many token economies.
    To repair your star cruiser will cost 100,000 credits.
    Would you like to play? I put in a dollar and I've got two credits left.
  12. (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.
  13. (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

  • (course credit, credit hour): unit

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams


Latin

Verb

crēdit

  1. third-person singular present active indicative of crēdō