credential

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: cre=den=tial

CIDE DICTIONARY

credential, a. [Cf. It. credenziale, fr. LL. credentia. See Credence.].

 Giving a title or claim to credit or confidence; accrediting.  [1913 Webster]
"Their credential letters on both sides."  [1913 Webster]

credential, n. [Cf. It. credenziale.].

•  That which gives a title to credit or confidence.  [1913 Webster]
•  Testimonials showing that a person is entitled to credit, or has right to exercise official power, as the letters given by a government to an ambassador or envoy, or a certificate that one is a duly elected delegate.  [1913 Webster]

  "The committee of estates excepted against the credentials of the English commissioners."  [1913 Webster]

  "Had they not shown undoubted credentials from the Divine Person who sent them on such a message."

OXFORD DICTIONARY

credential, n. (usu. in pl.)
1 evidence of a person's achievements or trustworthiness, usu. in the form of certificates, references, etc.
2 a letter or letters of introduction.

Etymology

med.L credentialis (as CREDENCE)

THESAURUS

credential

advocacy, advocating, advocation, affidavit, attestation, authority, authorization, bill of health, certificate, certificate of character, certificate of proficiency, certification, character, character reference, deposition, diploma, letter of introduction, navicert, notarized statement, note, patronage, recommend, recommendation, reference, sheepskin, sworn statement, testamur, testimonial, ticket, visa, vise, voucher, warrant, warranty, witness

ROGET THESAURUS

credential

Evidence

N evidence, facts, premises, data, praecognita, grounds, indication, criterion, testimony, testification, expert testimony, attestation, deposition, examination, admission, authority, warrant, credential, diploma, voucher, certificate, doquet, docket, testamur, record, document, pi ce justificative, deed, warranty, signature, seal, exhibit, material evidence, objective evidence, witness, indicator, hostile witness, eyewitness, earwitness, material witness, state's evidence, deponent, sponsor, cojuror, oral evidence, documentary evidence, hearsay evidence, external evidence, extrinsic evidence, internal evidence, intrinsic evidence, circumstantial evidence, cumulative evidence, ex parte evidence, presumptive evidence, collateral evidence, constructive evidence, proof, evidence in chief, secondary evidence, confirmation, corroboration, support, ratification, authentication, compurgation, wager of law, comprobation, citation, reference, legal research, literature search (experiment), showing, indicative, indicatory, deducible, grounded on, founded on, based on, corroborative, confirmatory, by inference, according to, witness, a fortiori, still more, still less, raison de plus, in corroboration, of, valeat quantum, under seal, under one's hand and seal, dictum de dicto, mise en evidence.