ac·cred·it [ ə kréddət ](past and past participleac·cred·it·ed, present participleac·cred·it·ing, 3rd person present singularac·cred·its)
transitive verb
Definition:
1. give official recognition to somebody: to officially recognize a person or organization as having met a standard or criterion
(
usually passive
)
The hospital is fully accredited.
2. appoint somebody as envoy: to appoint somebody as an envoy or ambassador to another country
3. give somebody authority: to give somebody the authority to perform a function
(
usually passive
)
4. attribute quality to somebody: to regard somebody as having a particular quality accredited them with more intelligence than they have
5. ascribe something to somebody: to consider something as belonging to or attributable to somebody We cannot accredit all the problems to immigration.
[Early 17th century. < French accréditer "believe (firmly)" < crédit (see credit)]
