Grammar and word types

Words with the Latin root cred

Cred comes from the Latin word credere, meaning to believe or trust, and it shapes many words about honesty, doubt, and reliability. This list helps students learning root words see how cred connects words like credible, credit, and incredible, all of which relate in some way to belief or trust.

20 words
WordMeaningIn a sentenceSave
credibleadjectiveAble to be believed; convincing, trustworthy, and reasonable to accept as true.The detective needed a credible witness to support her theory of the crime.
incredibleadjectiveSo extraordinary or improbable that it is hard to believe; also used to mean extremely impressive.The rescue team's incredible effort saved dozens of lives during the flood.
incrediblyadverbTo an extraordinary or extreme degree; in a way that is hard to believe.The view from the summit was incredibly beautiful after the long, difficult climb.
credibilitynounThe quality of being trusted and believed to be honest or accurate.The scandal seriously damaged the senator's credibility with voters across the state.
creditnounPublic acknowledgment or praise given to someone for an achievement or good quality.She deserves credit for organizing the entire charity event by herself.
creditornounA person or organization to whom money is owed by another party.The company's creditors demanded repayment before the deadline passed.
credentialnounA qualification, achievement, or quality that shows a person is entitled to trust, confidence, or authority.Her academic credentials made her the strongest candidate for the research position.
credencenounAcceptance of something as true or valid; belief.The new evidence lent credence to the witness's original account.
credonounA formal statement of the beliefs or principles that guide a person's or group's actions.Her personal credo was to treat every patient with patience and respect.
creednounA set of beliefs or principles that guide a person's or group's actions, especially religious ones.People of every creed and background attended the memorial service together.
accreditationnounOfficial recognition confirming that an institution, program, or professional meets required standards of quality.The university lost its accreditation after failing to meet minimum academic standards.
accreditverbTo officially recognize a school, program, or person as meeting an established set of standards.The board voted to accredit the new nursing program after a lengthy review.
discreditverbTo damage someone's reputation, or to cause doubt about the truth or reliability of a claim.The journalist's report aimed to discredit the company's safety claims.
discreditableadjectiveBringing disgrace or a bad reputation; not respectable or honorable.The scandal revealed discreditable behavior by several senior officials.
credulousadjectiveToo willing to believe things without enough evidence or proof.Credulous investors lost their savings by trusting the scheme without asking questions.
incredulousadjectiveUnwilling or unable to believe something; showing that one doubts what is being said.She gave an incredulous stare when he claimed to have run a marathon overnight.
creditworthyadjectiveRegarded as safe to lend money to, based on a reliable history of repaying debts.A strong credit score can help you appear more creditworthy to lenders.
miscreantnounA person who behaves badly or breaks the law; a villain or wrongdoer.The old sheriff spent his whole career chasing miscreants out of town.
creditablyadverbIn a manner that is respectable and deserving of some praise, though not outstanding.The rookie pitcher performed creditably in his first major league start.
uncreditedadjectiveNot given official acknowledgment or credit for a contribution, especially in film, music, or writing.The actor made an uncredited cameo appearance near the end of the film.

Frequently asked questions

What does the root cred mean?

Cred comes from the Latin word credere, meaning to believe or trust, so words like credible, credit, and creed all relate to belief or trust.