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Definition of discredit verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

discredit

verb
 
/dɪsˈkredɪt/
 
/dɪsˈkredɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they discredit
 
/dɪsˈkredɪt/
 
/dɪsˈkredɪt/
he / she / it discredits
 
/dɪsˈkredɪts/
 
/dɪsˈkredɪts/
past simple discredited
 
/dɪsˈkredɪtɪd/
 
/dɪsˈkredɪtɪd/
past participle discredited
 
/dɪsˈkredɪtɪd/
 
/dɪsˈkredɪtɪd/
-ing form discrediting
 
/dɪsˈkredɪtɪŋ/
 
/dɪsˈkredɪtɪŋ/
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  1. discredit somebody/something to make people stop respecting somebody/something
    • The photos were deliberately taken to discredit the president.
    • a discredited government/policy
    Extra Examples
    • She accused the minister of trying to discredit the government.
    • This was a blatant attempt to discredit this company.
    • This divided and discredited government has lost the trust of the people.
  2. discredit something to make people stop believing that something is true; to make something appear unlikely to be true
    • These theories are now largely discredited among linguists.
    • This new evidence discredits earlier findings.
    • These ideas have now been completely discredited.
  3. Word Originmid 16th cent.: from dis- (expressing reversal) + credit, on the pattern of Italian (di)scredito (noun), (di)screditare (verb), and French discrédit (noun), discréditer (verb).
See discredit in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee discredit in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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noun
 
 
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