Word
creed
US/ˈkɹid/
UK/kɹˈiːd/
Definitions
01religious belief
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Religion Formal
n. a formal statement of religious faith or the shared beliefs of a church.
n. a formal, authoritative statement of religious doctrine or a confession of faith intended for public use.
“The Nicene Creed is a famous statement of faith used in many Christian churches.”
“The theologian argued that the ancient creed provided a necessary framework for maintaining doctrinal unity across the diverse congregations.”
Usage
Often used with the definite article when referring to a specific historical document.
02guiding principles
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a set of personal or political beliefs that guide how you act.
n. a system of principles or opinions that governs an individual's or group's conduct and philosophy.
“The company's creed focuses on honesty and helping the local community.”
“He lived by a strict personal creed that valued intellectual integrity above professional advancement or social popularity.”
Teaching tip
In modern contexts, this is frequently used in professional or political settings to describe a 'mission statement' or core values.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Well beyond a personal creed, Ward’s Catholicism reflects a fundamental aspect of her political thought.” “We have seen a medley of people come up today, of all races, all religions, all creeds, and this tragedy is just that – it’s a tragedy.” Etymology
From Middle English crede, from Old English crēda, crēdo, from Latin crēdō (“I believe”), from Proto-Italic krezdō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱred dʰeh₁- (“to place one's heart, i.e., to trust, believe”), a compound phrase of the oblique case form of *ḱḗr (“heart”). Creed is cognate with Old Irish creitid (“to believe”), Sanskrit श्रद्दधाति (śráddadhāti, “to have faith or faithfulness, to have belief or confidence, believe”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/creed