Etymology

credential

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Today it means: Pertaining to or serving as an introduction or recommendation (to someone). Full definition →

First used 15th c.Medieval Latin crēdentiālis ← Latin crēdentia
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromcrēdentia“trust”
  2. Medieval Latin · borrowed fromcrēdentiālis“giving authority”
  3. English todaycredential

From Medieval Latin crēdentiālis (“giving authority”), from Latin crēdentia (“trust”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 15th c. Pertaining to or serving as an introduction or recommendation (to someone).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.