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Definition of credit noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

credit

noun
 
/ˈkredɪt/
 
/ˈkredɪt/
Idioms
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    buy now–pay later

  1. [uncountable] an arrangement that you make, with a shop for example, to pay later for something you buy
    • to get credit
    • on credit We bought the dishwasher on credit.
    • to offer interest-free credit (= allow somebody to pay later, without any extra charge)
    • Someone with a bad credit history is less likely to be lent money.
    • a credit agreement
    • a credit facility
    • Your credit limit is now £2 000.
    • He's a bad credit risk (= he is unlikely to pay the money later).
    • The credit crisis is far from over.
    compare hire purchase
    Extra Examples
    • I bought it on credit.
    • If you don't have a regular income you may be unable to get credit.
    • Most shops selling furniture or electrical goods will offer credit.
    • The credit report will show all the consumer debt a person has.
    • people with poor credit histories
    • We offer two months' interest-free credit.
    Topics Shoppinga2, Moneya2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • long-term
    • short-term
    • interest-free
    verb + credit
    • have
    • use
    • get
    credit + noun
    • account
    • agreement
    • arrangement
    preposition
    • on credit
    phrases
    • a letter of credit
    See full entry
  2. money borrowed

  3. [uncountable, countable] money that you borrow from a bank; a loan
    • The bank refused further credit to the company.
    • Local lenders are more likely to extend credit (= lend money) to smaller, more marginal borrowers.
    see also consumer credit, line of credit, letter of credit
    Collocations FinanceFinanceIncome
    • earn money/​cash/(informal) a fortune/​the minimum wage/​a living wage
    • make money/​a fortune/(informal) a killing on the stock market
    • acquire/​inherit/​amass wealth/​a fortune
    • build up funds/​savings
    • get/​receive/​leave (somebody) an inheritance/​a legacy
    • live on a low wage/​a fixed income/​a pension
    • get/​receive/​draw/​collect a pension
    • depend/​be dependent on (British English) benefits/(North American English) welfare/​social security
    Expenditure
    • spend money/​your savings/(informal) a fortune on…
    • invest/​put your savings in…
    • throw away/​waste/ (informal) shell out money on…
    • lose your money/​inheritance/​pension
    • use up/ (informal) wipe out all your savings
    • pay (in) cash
    • use/​pay by a credit/​debit/​contactless card
    • pay by/​make out a/​write somebody a/​accept a (British English) cheque/(US English) check
    • change/​exchange money/​currency
    • give/​pay/​leave (somebody) a deposit
    Banks
    • have/​hold/​open/​close/​freeze a bank account/​an account
    • credit/​debit/​pay something into/​take money out of your account
    • deposit money/​funds in your account
    • withdraw money/​cash/£30 from an ATM, etc.
    • (formal) make a deposit/​withdrawal
    • find/​go to/​use (especially North American English) an ATM/(British English) a cash machine/​dispenser
    • be in credit/​in debit/​in the black/​in the red/​overdrawn
    • use a mobile/​an online banking app/​platform/​service
    Personal finance
    • manage/​handle/​plan/​run/ (especially British English) sort out your finances
    • plan/​manage/​work out/​stick to a budget
    • offer/​extend credit (to somebody)
    • arrange/​take out a loan/​an overdraft
    • pay back/​repay money/​a loan/​a debt
    • pay for something in (especially British English) instalments/(North American English usually) installments
    Financial difficulties
    • get into debt/​financial difficulties
    • be short of/ (informal) be strapped for cash
    • run out of/​owe money
    • face/​get/ (informal) be landed with a bill for £…
    • can’t afford the cost of…/payments/​rent
    • fall behind with/ (especially North American English) fall behind on the mortgage/​repayments/​rent
    • incur/​run up/​accumulate debts
    • tackle/​reduce/​settle your debts
    Extra Examples
    • We propose to expand credit in order to create demand.
    • increases in debt created by credit expansion
    Topics Moneya2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • long-term
    • short-term
    • interest-free
    verb + credit
    • have
    • use
    • get
    credit + noun
    • account
    • agreement
    • arrangement
    preposition
    • on credit
    phrases
    • a letter of credit
    See full entry
  4. [uncountable] the status of being trusted to pay back money to somebody who lends it to you
    • Her credit isn't good anywhere now.
    Topics Moneyc1
  5. money in bank

  6. [uncountable] money that you have in your bank account; if you or your bank account are in credit, there is money in the account
    • You have a credit balance of £250.
    • My account is in credit.
    Topics Moneyb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • direct
    verb + credit
    • have
    credit + noun
    • balance
    preposition
    • in credit
    • credit of
    See full entry
  7. [countable, uncountable] a sum of money paid into a bank account; a record of the payment
    • a credit of £50
    • You'll be paid by direct credit into your bank account.
    • I have three credits on my bank statement.
    opposite debitTopics Moneyb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • direct
    verb + credit
    • have
    credit + noun
    • balance
    preposition
    • in credit
    • credit of
    See full entry
  8. money paid in advance

  9. [uncountable] the right to use a service up to a certain limit, paid for in advance
    • My phone's run out of credit.
    • to add credit to your phone
  10. money back

  11. [countable, uncountable] (specialist) a payment that somebody has a right to for a particular reason
    • The child tax credit is subject to strict income limitations.
    • Export credits are granted to firms in low-income countries to give them a breathing space to pay for goods exported to them.
    see also tax credit, Universal Credit
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • direct
    verb + credit
    • have
    credit + noun
    • balance
    preposition
    • in credit
    • credit of
    See full entry
  12. praise

  13. [uncountable] praise or approval because you are responsible for something good that has happened
    • to get/deserve/receive/take/claim the credit
    • He's a player who rarely seems to get the credit he deserves.
    • We did all the work and she gets all the credit!
    • credit for (doing) something I can't take all the credit for the show's success—it was a team effort.
    • At least give him credit for trying (= praise him because he tried, even if he did not succeed).
    • Credit will be given in the exam for good spelling and grammar.
    • His courage brought great credit to his regiment.
    compare blame, discredit
    Extra Examples
    • We should give due credit to all who helped make the event a success.
    • Why should he get all the credit?
    • The success of the venture reflects great credit on the organizers.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • great
    • extra
    • full
    verb + credit
    • give somebody
    • claim
    • get
    preposition
    • to somebody’s credit
    • credit for
    phrases
    • give credit where credit is due
    • to somebody’s great credit
    • to somebody’s eternal credit
    See full entry
  14. [singular] credit to somebody/something a person or thing whose qualities or achievements are praised and who therefore earns respect for somebody/something else
    • She is a credit to the school.
    • Your children are a great credit to you.
    Topics Successc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • great
    preposition
    • credit to
    See full entry
  15. movie/TV programme

  16. [countable, usually plural] the act of mentioning somebody who worked on a project such as a film or a television programme
    • She was given a programme credit for her work on the costumes for the play.
    • The credits (= the list of all the people involved) seemed to last almost as long as the film!
    • From the opening credits, the movie is non-stop action.
    • The end credits came as a welcome relief.
    • We left before the final credits began to roll.
    Topics TV, radio and newsc2, Film and theatrec2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • opening
    • closing
    • end
    verb + the credits
    • watch
    the credits + verb
    • roll
    See full entry
  17. a film, play, television programme, etc. that somebody has worked on
    • His film credits included ‘The Witches’ and ‘Halloween III’.
    Topics TV, radio and newsc2, Film and theatrec2
  18. unit of study

  19. [countable] a unit of study at a college or university (in the US, also at a school); the fact of having successfully completed a unit of study
    • My math class is worth three credits.
    see also carbon credit
    Extra Examples
    • Participants were given a course credit for their participation in the study.
    • Students may have difficulty transferring credits to other institutions.
    • Tuition costs are based on the number of credit hours enrolled.
    • modules offering continuing education credits
    • He took some advanced courses to earn college credits.
    Topics Educationc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • course
    • college
    verb + credit
    • earn
    • award
    • grant
    credit + noun
    • hour
    See full entry
  20. Word Originmid 16th cent. (originally in the senses ‘belief’, ‘credibility’): from French crédit, probably via Italian credito from Latin creditum, neuter past participle of credere ‘believe, trust’.
Idioms
do somebody credit | do credit to somebody/something
  1. if something does credit to a person or an organization, they deserve to be praised for it
    • Your honesty does you great credit.
    • Your concern does you credit.
give credit where credit is due
  1. to give somebody the praise they deserve, even if you do not really want to
    • Give credit where credit is due—what the man does, he does well.
have something to your credit
  1. to have achieved something
    • He's only 30, and he already has four novels to his credit.
    Topics Successc2
on the credit side
  1. used to introduce the good points about somebody/something, especially after the bad points have been mentioned
    • On the credit side, she’s always willing to work very late.
to somebody’s credit
  1. making somebody deserve praise or respect
    • To his credit, Jack never told anyone exactly what had happened.
    • It was to her credit that she managed to stay calm.
    Extra Examples
    • To his credit, he gave them lunch.
    • To her eternal credit, she gave them a home.
    • To his great credit, he does not try to avoid the truth.
See credit in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee credit in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
trait
noun
 
 
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