Credit

Etymology

From Latin "creditum" (a loan, a thing entrusted), from "credere" (to believe, to trust) — the same root as "creed" and "credible". Credit is, at its origin, belief: a lender’s faith that you will repay. Every credit arrangement rests on that trust made financial.

noun · /KRED-it/
The ability to borrow money or obtain goods now with a promise to pay later.
What it names
Names trust converted into spending power — the standing permission to use money you don’t yet have, based on your record of repaying.
Example
A steady job and paid bills gave him enough credit to be approved for the apartment.
Related idea
Distinguish debt: credit is the capacity or trust to borrow, debt is what you actually owe once you use it — you can have plenty of credit and no debt, which is often the strongest position.
noun · /KRED-it/
Public acknowledgment, praise, or recognition for an achievement or contribution.
What it names
The social currency of who is seen as responsible for good work — ‘taking credit,’ ‘the credits’ — quite apart from borrowing money.
Example
She did most of the work, but her manager took the credit.
Related idea
It names attribution — who is recognized as responsible for good work, as in 'taking credit' or 'the credits' — closer to acknowledgment than to any money owed.
noun · /KRED-it/
An amount of money recorded in your favor — money owed back to you, or a sum you can draw on.
What it names
A positive balance on your side of the ledger: a tax credit, store credit, or a refund posted to an account.
Example
The overcharge came back as a $20 credit on my next bill.
Related idea
This is the accounting opposite of a debit, and the mirror image of the ‘borrowing’ sense of credit: there you owe money later; here the balance is already tilted in your favor.
noun · /KRED-it/
A unit of study that counts toward completing a course or qualification.
What it names
The currency of academic progress — how schools measure and add up completed coursework toward a degree.
Example
She needs three more credits to graduate.
Related idea
Unlike financial or reputational credit, this is a countable token of work done — closer to a point scored than to money owed or praise earned.