ENGLISH
REFERENCE

credit card

compound.
A2 Elementary Oxford

compound. A plastic card from a bank that lets you buy things now and pay for them later.

compound. A payment card issued by a financial institution, enabling the cardholder to borrow funds to pay for goods and services.


SIMPLE

I will pay with my credit card.

CONTEXTUAL

She used her credit card to book the flights online for their vacation.

COMPLEX

The widespread acceptance of credit cards has fundamentally altered consumer spending habits and personal finance management across the globe.

Usage

This is a countable noun, often used with verbs like 'pay with', 'use', or 'accept'.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'debit card', which uses money directly from a bank account, whereas a credit card uses borrowed money.

Pitfall

I lost my creditcard.I lost my credit card.This compound noun is written as two separate words in standard English.

© 2026 English Reference