credo

n., pl., -dos.

1. A creed.
2. Credo
   1. The Apostles' Creed.
   2. The Nicene Creed, especially as the third item of the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Mass.
   3. The musical setting of the Nicene Creed.

[Middle English, the Apostles' Creed, from Latin crēdō, I believe (the first word of the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed), first person sing. present tense of crēdere, to believe.]

A Latin word which means “a set of fundamental beliefs or a guiding principle.” For a company, a credo is like a mission statement.

Investopedia Says:
For example, Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, established the “Three Basic Beliefs” as his company's credo. These are:

- Respect for the Individual
- Service to our Customers
- Strive for Excellence

A corporate philosophy that guides the way a company does business.

(Eng. Creed)

The third item of the Ordinary of the Latin Mass, sung as an affirmation of Christian belief. The ‘Nicene’ version was introduced in the East in the early 6th century; by the 8th it had been introduced to the Mass and sung between the Gospel and the Offertory. It was incorporated into the Roman Mass in 1014. The celebrant begins ‘Credo in unum Deum’ and the choir continues with ‘Patrem omnipotentem’, with which most polyphonic settings usually begin. In later settings the Credo is often divided into several separate movements.

---

by Benjamin Franklin, 1728

The life of Benjamin Franklin was many lives, and hardly any other American, of his age or after it, ever manifested so great a variety of talents. Printer, almanac-maker, maxim-monger, essayist, inventor, philanthropist, diplomat, statesman, and wit, he was "everything but a poet," as Herman Melville later said. Perhaps it was because he was everything but a poet-because, at any rate, he held both mystery and metaphysics in contempt-that Franklin had no inclination toward the transcendent and inscrutable God of the Puritans, but subscribed instead to the faith set forth in his Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion (1728). Formulated when he was only twenty-two, this creed or private religious ceremony served him all his life. In substance it embodied the principles of Deism, the religion or philosophy of life that was publicly professed by a small but influential number of eighteenth-century Americans, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

I believe there is one supreme, most perfect Being, Author and Father of the gods themselves.

For I believe that man is not the most perfect being but one, but rather that there are many degrees of beings superior to him.

Also, when I stretch my imagination through and beyond our system of planets, beyond the visible fixed stars themselves, into that space that is every way infinite, and conceive it filled with suns like ours, each with a chorus of worlds forever moving round him; then this little ball on which we move seems, even in my narrow imagination, to be almost nothing, and myself less than nothing, and of no sort of consequence.

When I think thus, I imagine it great vanity in me to suppose, that the Supremely Perfect does in the least regard such an inconsiderable nothing as man; more especially, since it is impossible for me to have any clear idea of that which is infinite and incomprehensible, I cannot conceive otherwise, than that He, the Infinite Father, expects or requires no worship or praise from us, but that He is even infinitely above it.

But, since there is in all men something like a natural principle which inclines them to devotion, or the worship of some unseen power;

And since men are endowed with reason superior to all other animals that we are in our world acquainted with;

Therefore, I think it seems required of me, and my duty as a man, to pay divine regards to something.

I conceive, then, that the infinite has created many beings or gods, vastly superior to man, who can better conceive his perfections than we, and return him a more rational and glorious praise; as, among men, the praise of the ignorant or of children is not regarded by the ingenious painter or architect, who is rather honored and pleased with the approbation of wise men and artists.

It may be these created gods are immortal; or it may be that, after many ages, they are changed and others supply their places.

Howbeit, I conceive that each of these is exceeding wise and good, and very powerful; and that each has made for himself one glorious sun, attended with a beautiful and admirable system of planets.

It is that particular wise and good God, who is the Author and Owner of our system, that I propose for the object of my praise and adoration; for I conceive that He has in Himself some of those passions He has planted in us; and that, since He has given us reason whereby we are capable of observing His wisdom in the creation, He is not above caring for us, being pleased with our praise, and offended when we slight Him, or neglect His glory.

I conceive, for many reasons, that He is a good being; and, as I should be happy to have so wise, good, and powerful a being my friend, let me consider in what manner I shall make myself most acceptable to Him.

Next to the praise resulting from and due to His wisdom, I believe He is pleased and delights in the happiness of those He has created; and, since without virtue a man can have no happiness in this world, I firmly believe He delights to see me virtuous, because He is pleased when He sees me happy.

And since He has created many things, which seem purely designed for the delight of man, I believe He is not offended when He sees His children solace themselves in any manner of pleasant exercises and innocent delights; and I think no pleasure innocent that is to man hurtful.

I love Him, therefore, for His goodness, and I adore Him for His wisdom.

Let me not fail, then, to praise my God continually, for it is His due, and it is all I can return for His many fayors and great goodness to me; and let me resolve to be virtuous, that I may be happy, that I may please Him, who is delighted to see me happy. Amen!

Source
The Works of Benjamin Franklin, etc., etc, Jared Sparks, ed., Boston, 1836-1840, II, pp. 1-3.

Quotes
"The body of Benjamin Franklin, printer, (like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stript of its lettering and gilding), lies here, food for worms; but the work shall not be lost, for it will (as he believed) appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author." — Benjamin Franklin. epitaph written for himself sixty-two years before his death.

"I believe". In the Mass, the third part of the ordinary. The Creed.

IN BRIEF: A guiding belief.

This became a credo of mine . . . attempt the impossible in order to improve your work. — Bette Davis (1908-1989).

Tutor's tip: "Creed" and "credo" are synonyms; they both mean a set of religious or other basic beliefs.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - trosbekendelse, credo

Nederlands (Dutch)
geloofsbelijdenis, zingen/ zeggen van het credo

Français (French)
n. - credo

Deutsch (German)
n. - Credo, Glaubensbekenntnis

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θρησκ.) το Πιστεύω, το Σύμβολο της Πίστεως, (μτφ.) οι δοξασίες, οι πεποιθήσεις, τα πιστεύω, η ιδεολογία

Italiano (Italian)
fede, credo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - crença (f)

Русский (Russian)
кредо

Español (Spanish)
n. - credo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - trosbekännelse, credo, lärosats

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
信条

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 信條

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 사도신경, 신조

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 信条

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) عقيدة, مبدأ أساسي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮הצהרה על אמונה, דת, אמונה‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.