I. ˈkrēd noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English crede, from Old English crēda, from Latin credo (first word of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds), 1st person singular present indicative of credere to believe; akin to Old Irish cretim I believe, Avestan zrazdā- to believe, Sanskrit śrad-dadhāti he believes, śraddhā belief, confidence; all from a prehistoric Indo-European combination whose first constituent means “magic power” and is akin to Old Irish cretar holy relic and whose second constituent is the verb represented by Sanskrit dadhāti he puts, places — more at do
1. : a brief authoritative doctrinal formula beginning with such words as “Credo”, “Credimus”, “I believe”, “We believe”, intended to define what is held by a Christian congregation, synod, or church to be true and essential and exclude what is held to be false belief
2. capitalized : that portion of a Christian liturgy in which a profession of faith is corporately recited
the sermon follows the creed
3.
a. : a formulation or system of religious faith
a religion of usage and sentiment rather than of creed — John Buchan
especially : one definitively stated (as for affirmation or confession)
drew up a creed whose acceptance was required of all believers
b. : a religion or religious sect
men of all races and creeds
c. : a formulation or epitome of principles, rules, opinions, and precepts formally expressed and seriously adhered to and maintained : a notion or complex of notions viewed as so expressed or adhered to
that general distrust of logic and dethroning of reason … formulated into a creed by D. H. Lawrence — C.D.Lewis
the devotion to work 107 became a creed and the principal article of economic faith — W.P.Webb
Synonyms: see religion
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Latin credere to believe
obsolete : believe