accredit

verb

ac·​cred·​it ə-ˈkre-dət 

accredited; accrediting; accredits

transitive verb

1

: to give official authorization to or approval of:

a

: to provide with credentials

especially : to send (an envoy) with letters of authorization

accredit an ambassador to France

b

: to recognize or vouch for as conforming with a standard

The program was accredited by the American Dental Association.

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

an accredited scientist

3

: attribute, credit

an invention accredited to the company's founder

accreditable

ə-ˈkre-də-tə-bəl 

adjective

accreditation

ə-ˌkre-də-ˈtā-shən 

-ˈdā-

noun

Synonyms

• ascribe
• attribute
• chalk up
• credit
• impute
• lay
• put down

Choose the Right Synonym for accredit

approve, endorse, sanction, accredit, certify mean to have or express a favorable opinion of.

approve often implies no more than this but may suggest considerable esteem or admiration.

the parents approve of the marriage

endorse suggests an explicit statement of support.

publicly endorsed her for Senator

sanction implies both approval and authorization.

the President sanctioned covert operations

accredit and certify usually imply official endorsement attesting to conformity to set standards.

the board voted to accredit the college

must be certified to teach

Examples of accredit in a Sentence

The association only accredits programs that meet its high standards.

The program was accredited by the American Dental Association.

The invention of scuba gear is accredited to Jacques Cousteau.

accredit an ambassador to France

Recent Examples on the Web

Leadership says the school was fully accredited as of July 2024 after deciding to apply in November 2023. —Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2025

Many of the private facilities are internationally accredited and have English-speaking staff, state-of-the-art equipment, and spotless facilities. —Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

Choose a company that is accredited by the American Association for Debt Resolution and has great feedback from online reviews. —Víctor Rosario, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025

Institutions of higher education must be accredited to gain access to federal money for student financial aid. —Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Latin accrēditus, past participle of accrēdere "to give credence to, believe, put faith in," from ad- ad- + crēdere "to entrust, believe" — more at creed

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for accredit

• discredit
• noncredit
• credit
• dedit
• edit
• microcredit

Kids Definition

accredit

verb

ac·​cred·​it ə-ˈkred-ət 

1

: to send with credentials and authority to act as representative

accredit an ambassador to France

2

: to certify as in agreement with a standard

an accredited school

3

: to give credit to

accreditation

ə-ˌkred-ə-ˈtā-shən 

-ˈdā-

noun