credit
credit — verb
1. to add money to a bank account, increasing the total that the account holder can
to add money to a bank account, increasing the total that the account holder can spend or take out.
Sofie's employer credited her salary to her account every month.
active: credit + amount + to + account
The bank credited my savings account with the interest payment automatically.
pattern: credit + account + with + amount
The refund was credited to his card within three working days.
passive: be credited + to + account
Feng credited the check before the bank closed for the afternoon.
Darius accidentally credited the wrong amount to Ishaan's account.
- credit an account
- credit to an account
- credit with interest
- automatically credited
Grammar Patterns
credit + amount + to + account
credit + account + with + amount
Usage Note
Frequently passive. The object can be the money (credit money to an account) or the account (credit an account with money). The opposite action is debit.
Common Mistakes
2. to accept something as true even though it is very surprising or hard to imagine
to accept something as true even though it is very surprising or hard to imagine — for example, finding it difficult to accept that a friend really saw what they claim.
Samir could hardly credit his ears when he heard the result.
negative: can hardly credit + noun phrase
Would you credit it — the shop gave Mira a full refund without asking!
informal question: would you credit + noun phrase
Asher's excuse was so ridiculous that nobody credited it for a second.
Can you credit that Darius climbed the whole mountain in just five hours?
question: can you credit + that-clause
- hardly credit
- can you credit
- wouldn't credit
- couldn't credit
- doubt
to think that something is probably not true
- disbelieve
formal antonym for refusing to accept something as true
Grammar Patterns
can hardly credit + noun phrase
can you credit + noun phrase?
wouldn't credit + that-clause
Usage Note
Almost always used with a negative or in a question. The affirmative form ('I credit it') sounds very old-fashioned and is rare in modern English. Distinguish from sense 1 (DEPOSIT MONEY) which has no such restriction.
Common Mistakes
3. to consider someone as the source, cause, or creator of something good, or to sa
to consider someone as the source, cause, or creator of something good, or to say that someone deserves praise for something achieved.
The team credited their victory to Tariro's last-minute goal.
active: credit + noun + to + person
Reuben is credited with inventing a cheap way to clean drinking water.
passive: be credited with + gerund
The museum credited the painting to an unknown artist from the 1700s.
Sofie credited her success to the support of her family and teachers.
The discovery is credited to a team of young researchers in Brazil.
passive: be credited + to + group
- credited with discovering
- credited to
- credit someone with
- attribute to
neutral — works for positive, negative, or neutral causation; 'credit' is positive only
- ascribe to
more formal, often used in scholarly writing for authorship or origin
- assign to
focuses on allocation of responsibility or ownership
- discredit
to harm someone's reputation or to reject something as false; different grammatical patterns
Grammar Patterns
credit + someone + with + noun phrase
be credited with + noun phrase
credit + noun phrase + to + someone
be credited + to + someone
Usage Note
Usually implies something positive or admirable — for negative causation, use 'attribute to' or 'blame on' instead. Often passive, especially in academic and journalistic contexts.
Common Mistakes
credit — noun
1. praise and approval given to someone when their actions have led to a positive r
praise and approval given to someone when their actions have led to a positive result or successful outcome.
Eitan deserves all the credit for organizing the school fundraiser.
deserve + all the credit for [achievement]
Femi was happy to share the credit with his research partners.
Shanti took full credit for the project even though others helped.
take + full credit for [work]
The credit for the medical breakthrough belongs to the entire lab team.
the credit for [achievement] belongs to [group]
Ada received little credit for her years of volunteer work at the clinic.
- get credit for
- take credit for
- give credit to
- deserve credit
- share credit
- full credit
- some of the credit
- praise
more general term for expressing approval
- recognition
focuses on acknowledging someone's contribution
- commendation
more formal, often used in official contexts
Grammar Patterns
get/take credit for [something]
give credit to [someone] for [something]
deserve credit for [something]
Usage Note
Often used in phrases like get/take/receive credit or give credit. Take credit can carry a negative tone when someone claims credit they do not fully deserve.
Common Mistakes
2. a phrase used to acknowledge that someone deserves praise for one particular qua
a phrase used to acknowledge that someone deserves praise for one particular quality or action, especially when other aspects are not positive.
You have to give Aylin credit for trying, even though she failed the driving test.
give [someone] credit for trying — acknowledging effort despite failure
The café had slow service, but to give them credit, the coffee was excellent.
I dislike his loud voice, but I give him credit for always telling the truth.
The film received poor reviews, but give the director credit for trying something original.
Minho can be a tough colleague, but give him credit for his effort.
give [someone] credit for + positive quality
- give someone credit for
- give them credit
- you have to give credit
- to give credit where it is due
- acknowledge
more formal, without the concessive tone
- appreciate
focuses on gratitude rather than recognition
Grammar Patterns
give + [someone] + credit + for + [noun/gerund]
to give [someone] their credit
Usage Note
This is a concessive expression: you praise one thing while acknowledging other negatives. Frequently introduced by 'you have to' or 'you must'.
Common Mistakes
3. anyone whose good qualities or notable successes bring honour and respect to the
anyone whose good qualities or notable successes bring honour and respect to the group they belong to.
Tuan is a credit to his profession as a nurse at the city hospital.
be a credit to [profession]
The young swimmer is a credit to her school and to the local community.
Lara's volunteer work at the animal shelter makes her a credit to the neighbourhood.
That small bakery on Elm Street is a credit to the entire town.
a [place/business] is a credit to [place/community]
Dr. Okafor is a credit to her hospital and to the medical profession.
- a credit to
- be a credit to
- a credit to the profession
- a credit to the community
- an honour to
similar meaning, slightly more formal
- a pride of
less common, used in more emotional contexts
- an embarrassment to
the opposite effect — bringing shame rather than honour
Grammar Patterns
[subject] + be + a credit to + [group/organization]
Usage Note
Subject is usually a person, but can also be a thing (restaurant, institution). The group mentioned must be one the subject belongs to or represents.
Common Mistakes
4. when someone's actions or accomplishments bring a favourable opinion to another
when someone's actions or accomplishments bring a favourable opinion to another person or organization connected with them.
Mark's polite manners do credit to his parents and grandparents.
do credit to — behaviour reflects well on family
The way she handled the angry customer did credit to her patience.
Caio's hard work on the community project does credit to the whole team.
Anong's well-organised presentation at the conference did credit to her research team.
do credit to — action reflects well on a connected group
The students' excellent results in the science fair did credit to their teachers.
- do credit to
- does credit to
- did credit to
- honour
more direct equivalent: 'her actions honoured her family'
- reflect well on
less formal, similar meaning
- shame
to bring dishonour
Grammar Patterns
[action/quality] + do/does/did + credit + to + [person/group]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 3 (be a credit to): sense 3 describes a person or thing as the source of honour, whereas sense 4 describes an action or quality that brings praise to someone connected.
Common Mistakes
5. used to introduce a statement that someone should be praised for a particular fa
used to introduce a statement that someone should be praised for a particular fact, quality, or action, especially when balanced against other information.
To Minho's credit, he never missed a single football practice all season.
to [someone's] credit + positive fact about them
The judge noted, to Élise's credit, that she had told the truth from the start.
To the company's credit, it offered full refunds to every affected customer.
to [organization's] credit + action that shows integrity
It is to Zola's credit that she finished the race despite a painful leg injury.
- to someone's credit
- it is to someone's credit that
- praiseworthily
adverb form, less common
- commendably
adverb, more formal
Grammar Patterns
to + [possessive] + credit + , + [statement of praiseworthy fact]
Usage Note
Typically placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause, followed by a comma. The subject of the 'praiseworthy fact' is usually the person named in the possessive. The dummy-it construction ('It is to X's credit that...') is also common in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
6. used to state the number of achievements, successes, or experiences someone has
used to state the number of achievements, successes, or experiences someone has completed that deserve praise.
At age thirty, Ada already has two published novels to her credit.
have [number] + [achievement] to one's credit
The scientist has over fifty research papers to her credit in top journals.
Élise has five years of teaching experience in rural schools to her credit.
By age forty, Eitan had three marathon finishes to his credit.
The young chef already has two Michelin stars to his credit at only thirty.
have [prestigious honour] to one's credit
- to one's credit
- have to one's credit
- something to your credit
- achieved
more general, 'she has achieved two novels'
- accomplished
slightly more formal
Grammar Patterns
[subject] + have/has + [number/quantity] + [noun] + to + [possessive] + credit
Usage Note
Commonly used with numbers, quantities, or durations to show what someone has built up over time. Often appears in biographical or professional contexts.
Common Mistakes
7. an arrangement where you receive goods or services now and pay for them later, o
an arrangement where you receive goods or services now and pay for them later, often with extra charges added to the original price.
Owen paid for the furniture on credit and will settle the bill over six months.
on credit — paying for goods after receiving them
The store offered Nia a credit account so she could buy uniforms now and pay next month.
credit account — a store-based arrangement
Nikhil bought a laptop on credit and ended up paying an extra two hundred dollars in interest.
The bank approved a line of credit for the small business to manage its cash flow.
line of credit — an agreed borrowing limit from a bank
The Chen family used credit to buy a new refrigerator after their old one broke down.
- on credit
- buy on credit
- line of credit
- credit account
- offer credit
- deferred payment
a more formal term for the same arrangement
- installment plan
a specific type of credit where you pay in fixed amounts over time
- cash
payment made immediately with money you already have
Grammar Patterns
on credit
buy (something) on credit
line of credit
Usage Note
Uncountable, so 'a credit' is not used for this sense — instead say 'on credit'. 'Line of credit' is countable and refers to a specific borrowing limit set by a bank.
Common Mistakes
8. the level of trust that banks and other lenders have in your ability to repay bo
the level of trust that banks and other lenders have in your ability to repay borrowed money, based on how you have handled money in the past.
Banks check a customer's credit history before approving a home loan.
credit history — record of past borrowing and repayment
Mauricio's good credit score helped him get a low interest rate on his car loan.
credit score — numerical rating of creditworthiness
Léa built her credit by paying all her bills on time for two years.
build credit — improve your reputation for repayment
Caleb's late payment on his student loan damaged his credit and raised his mortgage rate.
The landlord ran a credit check on the new tenant before signing the lease agreement.
- credit history
- credit score
- credit check
- credit rating
- good credit
- bad credit
- build credit
- credit rating
a specific assessment, often shown as a letter grade or number
- creditworthiness
the full abstract noun form
Grammar Patterns
credit history
credit score
credit check
good/bad credit
Usage Note
Frequently combines with 'history', 'score', 'rating', and 'check'. Cannot be used as a countable noun — you do not have 'a credit' in this sense.
Common Mistakes
9. an amount of money that is present in a bank account and is available for the ac
an amount of money that is present in a bank account and is available for the account holder to spend or withdraw.
After paying the bills, Jack's account still showed a credit of two hundred pounds.
a credit of [amount] — a positive balance
The bank statement confirmed that the cooperative was in credit at month end.
in credit — having available money in the account
Shirin checked her online banking to confirm there was enough credit in her account for the rent.
Hui checked her account balance every week to make sure she stayed in credit.
The charity's credit balance grew to over five thousand dollars after the fundraising event.
credit balance — the amount remaining in an account
- in credit
- credit balance
- show a credit
- enough credit
- balance
the general term for the amount in an account at a given time
- debit
a negative balance or the amount owed
Grammar Patterns
in credit
be in credit
credit balance
Usage Note
Commonly used in the phrase 'in credit' to mean the account has a positive balance, the opposite of 'overdrawn' or 'in debit'.
Common Mistakes
10. an amount added to a bank account, recorded as a positive line in the account re
an amount added to a bank account, recorded as a positive line in the account records.
The accountant recorded a credit of two thousand dollars to the company's main account.
credit of [amount] to an account — money added
Amihan saw a fifty-dollar credit on her bank statement and wondered about the source.
Ari noticed a credit of three hundred dollars on his statement and called the bank to ask about it.
The refund showed up as a credit on Christopher's credit card bill three days later.
The bookkeeper entered a credit in the ledger for the payment received from the client.
credit in the ledger — an accounting entry on the positive side
- credit to an account
- credit entry
- credit of [amount]
- appear as a credit
- deposit
more common in everyday language for money put into an account
- debit
an entry subtracting money from an account
Grammar Patterns
credit (something) to an account
credit entry
Usage Note
Countable — you can record one credit entry or several. Contrasts with 'debit' as the opposite type of entry in both banking and accounting.
Common Mistakes
11. a unit given by an educational institution for finishing a part of a course, cou
a unit given by an educational institution for finishing a part of a course, counting towards a degree or certificate.
Eitan earned twelve credits in his first semester at the university.
earn credits — complete course units successfully
Each biology course is worth four credit hours and includes a weekly lab session.
credit hours — measure of course workload and value
Lan transferred her credits from the community college to the four-year university.
transfer credits — move earned units between institutions
Eshe needs twelve more credits to finish her nursing degree at City College.
Owen took an extra course to get enough credits for graduation.
- earn credit
- get credit
- transfer credits
- credit hours
- course credit
- extra credit
- course credit
a more formal term for the same concept
Grammar Patterns
earn/ get/ receive credit
credit hours
transfer credits
Usage Note
Countable when referring to individual units ('earn six credits'). Uncountable in phrases like 'extra credit' or 'course credit'. The term 'credit hour' is used mainly in the US to indicate both course value and weekly classroom time.
Common Mistakes
12. a written list appearing near the start or close of a film or television program
a written list appearing near the start or close of a film or television programme, naming everyone who worked on its production.
Tamar stayed in the cinema until the end credits finished playing.
end credits — the list shown at the end of a film
The opening credits showed the main actors' names against a dramatic city skyline.
Kabir checked the credits to find out who composed the film's soundtrack.
The director's name appeared last in the closing credits of the documentary.
Nia was excited to see her name in the credits as an assistant camera operator.
in the credits — included in the list of contributors
- end credits
- opening credits
- closing credits
- credit sequence
- in the credits
- credit roll
Grammar Patterns
end credits
opening credits
credit sequence
Usage Note
Almost always used in the plural: 'the credits'. The singular 'credit' for this meaning is very rare, except when referring to a single line in the list ('her credit as editor').
Common Mistakes
13. A sum of money that you are allowed to subtract from the tax you owe to the gove
A sum of money that you are allowed to subtract from the tax you owe to the government, or that the government pays directly to you because you meet certain conditions.
Hassan claimed the full education credit on his annual tax return.
claim + credit (applying for a government benefit)
A childcare credit worth five thousand dollars is available for each newborn child.
passive: be available + credit + for (eligibility pattern)
After installing solar panels, Tamar qualified for a generous energy credit from the government.
qualify for + credit (meeting conditions to receive)
Ziad's company applied for a research tax credit after developing a new medical device.
Sora received a tuition credit after paying for his university courses last semester.
receive + tuition credit (direct payment context)
- claim a credit
- qualify for a credit
- receive a credit
- apply for a credit
- tax credit
- childcare credit
- education credit
- energy credit
- credit for research
- tax
The money you must pay to the government; a credit is subtracted from this amount.
Grammar Patterns
credit + for + purpose
credit + noun (tax credit, childcare credit)
Usage Note
Commonly appears in compound nouns such as tax credit, childcare credit, or education credit. The preposition 'for' typically introduces the purpose or reason for the credit (e.g., 'credit for installing solar panels').
Common Mistakes
If something does credit to someone, it shows that they deserve praise.
Maya's hard work does great credit to her team.
Does this painting do credit to the artist's talent?
To praise someone who deserves it, even if you do not want to.
We should give credit where credit is due and thank Sara.
Give credit where credit is due: Diego solved the problem.
To have achieved something noteworthy.
Aiden has two published novels to his credit.
Does she have any awards to her credit?
on the credit side
idiomUsed to mention the good points after discussing the bad ones.
The car is old, but on the credit side it runs well.
On the credit side, Min always finishes her work on time.
to somebody’s credit
idiomMaking someone deserve praise or respect.
To his credit, Brian admitted his mistake immediately.
It is to her credit that she remained calm.
Word family
- creditornounB2
- credibleadjectiveB2
- credibilitynounB2
- creditableadjectiveC1
- creditablyadverbC1
- credencenounC1
- accreditedadjectiveC1
- accreditationnounC1
- discreditverbC1
- discreditnounC1
- incredibleadjectiveA2
- incrediblyadverbB1
- incredulousadjectiveC1
- credulousadjectiveC2
- credulitynounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Credit, praise, recognition, commendation, and acclaim all refer to positive feedback, but differ in scope, formality, and focus. Credit emphasises acknowledging someone as the source or cause of a successful outcome — you give credit to a person for what they have done ('She deserves credit for the discovery'). Praise is the broadest and most everyday term, covering any expression of approval or admiration, from a simple 'well done' to detailed compliments. Recognition stresses the act of formally noticing someone's contribution, often in professional or public contexts ('The scientist received recognition for her research'). Commendation is more formal and official, frequently used in awards, reports, or public statements ('The firefighter received a commendation for bravery'). Acclaim is the most intense and public, suggesting widespread enthusiasm and approval from a large audience, such as critics or the public ('The film won international acclaim'). In everyday use, credit and recognition are the closest synonyms; praise is the safest choice for informal praise; commendation adds a formal, institutional tone; and acclaim implies broad enthusiasm rather than individual attribution.
Common collocations
Nouns
- credit card
- credit score
- credit history
- credit limit
- credit line
- credit hour
- credit union
- tax credit
- credit check
- letter of credit
Adverbs
- fully credit
- widely credited
- hardly credit
Phrases
- take credit for
- give credit to
- to someone's credit
- have something to one's credit
- be a credit to
- do credit to
- on credit
- buy on credit
- line of credit
- build credit
Prepositions
- credit for
- credit to
- on credit
- in credit
Etymology
Credit comes from Latin creditum (a thing entrusted, a loan), the past participle of credere, meaning 'to trust, entrust, or believe'. The idea of trust is the core: when you lend money or give praise, you are placing trust in someone. The word entered Middle English through Old French credit in the 1500s, initially in financial contexts ('to buy on credit'), then broadened in the 1600s to include the sense of belief or trust in someone's word. By the 1700s, credit had taken on the meaning of praise or recognition (giving someone their 'due credit'). The academic sense (course credit) appeared in the late 1800s with the rise of formal degree systems, and the film/TV sense (end credits) emerged in the early 1900s. Throughout all these senses, the original Latin thread of trusting — whether with money, reputation, or achievement — remains visible.