Definition

1. Verb:
   • To officially recognize or approve; to grant authority or credentials: To give official authorization or recognition to a person, institution, or program, often after verifying standards have been met.
   • To attribute or ascribe something to someone: To credit a person with a particular achievement, action, or statement.
   • To send (an ambassador or envoy) with official credentials: To provide an ambassador or diplomatic representative with the formal authority to act on behalf of their government.

Examples of Usage

• Granting official recognition:
  • The board will accredit the new medical school next month.
  • Only accredited universities can award recognized degrees.
• Attributing an achievement:
  • Historians accredit the discovery to an unknown researcher.
  • She is accredited with revolutionizing the field.
• Sending with official authority:
  • The president will accredit the new ambassador to France.

Advanced Usage

• "To be accredited to": To be officially appointed or assigned to a particular place or role.
  • The journalist is accredited to the United Nations headquarters.
• "Accredited status": The official condition of being recognized as meeting certain standards.
  • The laboratory maintains its accredited status through annual reviews.

Variants and Related Words

• Accreditation (n): The act of granting official approval or recognition; the status itself.
  • The university's accreditation is up for renewal.
• Accredited (adj): Officially recognized or authorized.
  • She is an accredited financial advisor.

Synonyms

• Certify: To confirm or attest to meeting a standard.
• Authorize: To give official permission or power.
• Attribute: To regard something as being caused by or belonging to someone.
• Recognize: To acknowledge the validity or existence of something officially.

Related Phrases

• Accredit with: To credit someone with having or doing something.
  • He is accredited with great wisdom.
• Accredit to: To officially assign or attribute something to a source.
  • The quote is often accredited to Mark Twain.

Verb

1. ascribe an achievement to
   • She was not properly credited in the program
2. provide or send (envoys or embassadors) with official credentials
3. grant credentials to
   • The Regents officially recognized the new educational institution
   • recognize an academic degree