Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To ascribe or attribute (something) to someone.
  • transitive verb To give credit to.
  • transitive verb To certify as meeting prescribed standards or requirements, as of a profession.
  • transitive verb To supply with credentials or authority, as of a government: synonym: authorize.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To give credit or credence to; repose confidence in; trust; esteem.
  • To confer credit or authority on; stamp with authority.
  • Hence, specifically To send with credentials, as an envoy.
  • To believe; accept as true.
  • To ascribe or attribute to; invest with the credit of: followed by with.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To put or bring into credit; to invest with credit or authority; to sanction.
  • transitive verb To send with letters credential, as an ambassador, envoy, or diplomatic agent; to authorize, as a messenger or delegate.
  • transitive verb To believe; to credit; to put trust in.
  • transitive verb To credit; to vouch for or consider (some one) as doing something, or (something) as belonging to some one.
  • transitive verb to attribute something to him.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To ascribe; attribute; credit with.
  • verb transitive To put or bring into credit; to invest with credit or authority; to sanction.
  • verb transitive To send with letters credential, as an ambassador, envoy, or diplomatic agent; to authorize, as a messenger or delegate.
  • verb transitive To believe; to put trust in.
  • verb transitive To enter on the credit side of an account book.
  • verb transitive To certify as meeting a predetermined standard; to certify an educational institution as upholding the specified standards necessary for the students to advance.
  • verb transitive To recognize as outstanding.
  • verb transitive, literally To credit.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb provide or send (envoys or embassadors) with official credentials
  • verb ascribe an achievement to
  • verb grant credentials to

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French accréditer : a-, to (from Latin ad-; see ad–) + crédit, credit (from Old French; see credit).]

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