7

What is the difference between creed and credo? They seem to have the same definition in online dictionaries. Do they have different connotations?

Improve this question

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
8

They are interchangeable, but I think there are some subtleties that may or may not be important.

A creed is often a shared and established statement of belief. The Nicene Creed was established to be a statement of faith symbolizing a shared understanding of Christianity between believers.

Credo, or "I believe," tends to be a personal statement and is not necessarily bound by a group. My personal credo could be, "Bacon, always."

Improve this answer
1

Credo could be seen as more formal, since it's from the original Latin, but I'm not aware of any other specific connotations for either word.

Improve this answer
1

Creed is an English word, and credo is the Latin word it is borrowed from. Creed would probably be the preferred term unless you wanted to use a non-English word for some reason.

Improve this answer
1

To me credo has a connotation of a personal belief. Almost a tagline. I think these are sometimes used light heartedly. jboneca's 'Always Bacon' is a fantastic example.

A creed to me implies a more formal statement of belief (church) or ethics (business). It carries more conviction. ex Assassins Creed , Nicene Creed, etc.

This is my opinion and reflects how I have experienced their uses. Research clearly supports jboneca's statement that creed is based on credo.

Improve this answer
0

My understanding: The word "credo" literally means "I believe" in Latin. Accordingly,"credo" in English ordinarily is used to denote an individual's personal belief or belief system (or, more particularly,a specific individual's personal belief which has been published or written) -- which personal belief may or may not be the same as or consistent with the belief or belief system (creed), formalized or not, held by a group.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
    – Community Bot
    Commented Mar 21 at 3:08
  • OK, @Community Bot, but wouldn't it be fair to comment the same thing on the other answers here that have the same amount of supporting information? @P Clark, welcome to ELU, do take the tour when you get a chance! It's best practice here to include information that is not already in other answers, and an extract from a dictionary or an example in a short extract from some other reputable publication, always with attribution. Cheers!
    – Conrado
    Commented Mar 21 at 13:40

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.