credo
Americannoun
plural
credos-
(often initial capital letter) the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed.
-
(often initial capital letter) a musical setting of the creed, usually of the Nicene Creed.
-
any creed or formula of belief.
- Synonyms:
- philosophy, tenet, doctrine
noun
-
the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed
-
a musical setting of the Creed
noun
Etymology
Origin of credo
1150–1200; Middle English < Latin: literally, I believe; first word of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds in Latin
Explanation
Credo is Latin for, literally, "I believe," and originally meant a particular religious belief. Now it has the far broader meaning of any system of principles that guide a person or group. There's often a faintly jokey air to the word as used today, perhaps in recognition that it once popularly held such a high-minded meaning. A hedonist's credo might be simply "party on," or "enjoy the ride;" an actor's "the show must go on." Politicians have credos, and so too, presumably, do rappers and weather forecasters.
Vocabulary lists containing credo
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Believe It or Not: Cred
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cred
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fact that it was a parlor game, not pointillism, that inspired the lyric is proof of Sondheim’s credo that “playful doesn’t mean trivial any more than solemn means serious.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
So the second credo concerns "the temptation to feel chosen, which justifies acting on our base desires."
From Salon • May 26, 2025
Initially, Powell had said that the first glimmers of inflation appeared “likely to pass through fairly quickly without the need for a monetary policy response” — the very credo of Camp Transitory.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024
Harbisson's credo, which includes his own business interests, is: "Design Yourself."
From BBC • Sep. 19, 2024
To support this credo, he submitted a goodly number of original drawings and oil paintings.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
