v.
Pronunciation: ə - ' kre-d ə t
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Latin accreditus, past participle of accredere to give credence to, from ad- + credere to believe ― more at CREED
Date: 1535
1 : to give official authorization to or approval of: a : to provide with credentials especially : to send (an envoy) with letters of authorization b : to recognize or vouch for as conforming with a standard c : to recognize (an educational institution) as maintaining standards that qualify the graduates for admission to higher or more specialized institutions or for professional practice
2 : to consider or recognize as outstanding
3 : ATTRIBUTE , CREDIT
synonyms see APPROVE
– ac · cred · i · table \ -d ə -t ə -b ə l \ adjective
– ac · cred · i · ta · tion \ ə - ˌ kre-d ə - ' t ā -sh ə n, - ' d ā - \ noun