noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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US:/kɹəˈdɛn.ʃə.lɪ.zəm/
1
noun
Meaning 1
Excessive emphasis on the importance of educational, academic, legal, or regulatory qualifications.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English credential Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English credentialism From credential + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
9 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
升學主義 /升学主义
(shēngxuézhǔyì)
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
Chinese Mandarin:
資格主義 /资格主义
(zīgézhǔyì)
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
Chinese Mandarin:
文憑主義 /文凭主义
(wénpíngzhǔyì)
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
Finnish:
kredentialismi
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
French:
inflation des diplômes
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
French:
inflation scolaire
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
French:
crédentialisme
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
Spanish:
credencialismo
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications
Spanish:
titulitis
— emphasis on the importance of qualifications