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.
Grammar and word types
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.
| Word | Meaning | In a sentence | Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| credibleadjective | Able to be believed; convincing, trustworthy, and reasonable to accept as true. | The detective needed a credible witness to support her theory of the crime. | |
| incredibleadjective | So 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. | |
| incrediblyadverb | To 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. | |
| credibilitynoun | The quality of being trusted and believed to be honest or accurate. | The scandal seriously damaged the senator's credibility with voters across the state. | |
| creditnoun | Public acknowledgment or praise given to someone for an achievement or good quality. | She deserves credit for organizing the entire charity event by herself. | |
| creditornoun | A person or organization to whom money is owed by another party. | The company's creditors demanded repayment before the deadline passed. | |
| credentialnoun | A 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. | |
| credencenoun | Acceptance of something as true or valid; belief. | The new evidence lent credence to the witness's original account. | |
| credonoun | A 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. | |
| creednoun | A 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. | |
| accreditationnoun | Official 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. | |
| accreditverb | To 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. | |
| discreditverb | To 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. | |
| discreditableadjective | Bringing disgrace or a bad reputation; not respectable or honorable. | The scandal revealed discreditable behavior by several senior officials. | |
| credulousadjective | Too willing to believe things without enough evidence or proof. | Credulous investors lost their savings by trusting the scheme without asking questions. | |
| incredulousadjective | Unwilling 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. | |
| creditworthyadjective | Regarded 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. | |
| miscreantnoun | A person who behaves badly or breaks the law; a villain or wrongdoer. | The old sheriff spent his whole career chasing miscreants out of town. | |
| creditablyadverb | In a manner that is respectable and deserving of some praise, though not outstanding. | The rookie pitcher performed creditably in his first major league start. | |
| uncreditedadjective | Not 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. |
No matching words in this collection.
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.