street cred: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, slang
Quick answer
What does “street cred” mean?
The level of respect, authenticity, and trust a person or group has within a community, particularly an urban or subculture community, often gained through real-life experience and adherence to its values.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The level of respect, authenticity, and trust a person or group has within a community, particularly an urban or subculture community, often gained through real-life experience and adherence to its values.
Credibility or prestige derived from authentic involvement in or knowledge of a particular scene, culture, or activity, not just through academic study or external approval.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both common, with very similar usage. Possibly more prevalent in UK media from earlier hip-hop/soulboy culture.
Connotations
In both, strongly tied to youth, music (hip-hop, punk, grime), and urban subcultures.
Frequency
Comparatively frequent in both varieties, a well-established slang term.
Grammar
How to Use “street cred” in a Sentence
have + street credgive + someone + street credearn + street cred + among/with + groupVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “street cred” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He's desperately trying to street-cred himself up by wearing those new trainers.
- That move really street-credited him with the local lads.
American English
- She totally street-credded her way into the scene with that story.
- You can't just street-cred a brand by slapping a logo on it.
adverb
British English
- He dresses street-cred enough to pass.
- She acted street-cred cool about the whole thing.
American English
- The album sounds street-cred authentic.
- He played it street-cred low-key.
adjective
British English
- He's got a serious street-cred look about him.
- It was a street-cred boosting performance.
American English
- That's a super street-cred move right there.
- They're facing a street-cred crisis after that ad campaign.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; used metaphorically: 'The CEO's early startup failures gave him serious street cred with the engineers.'
Academic
Very rare; used as a sociolinguistic or cultural studies term in quotes.
Everyday
Common in informal talk about music, fashion, and social status among peers.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “street cred”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “street cred”
- Using it in overly formal contexts.
- Writing it as one word ('streetcred').
- Confusing it with general popularity.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally yes, as it denotes earned respect. However, it can be used neutrally to describe a quality ('He has street cred') or ironically ('That won't help your street cred').
Yes, metaphorically. A brand can gain or lose street cred based on its perceived authenticity and acceptance within a relevant subculture.
Street cred is specifically about respect and authenticity within a particular (often non-mainstream) group. Popularity is broader and can be based on many factors, including mainstream appeal.
Yes, 'street credibility' is the formalized full phrase, though 'street cred' is far more common in speech and informal writing.
The level of respect, authenticity, and trust a person or group has within a community, particularly an urban or subculture community, often gained through real-life experience and adherence to its values.
Street cred is usually informal, slang in register.
Street cred: in British English it is pronounced /striːt krɛd/, and in American English it is pronounced /strit krɛd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “street cred to burn”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'cred' like 'credibility' earned on the 'street,' not in an office.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESPECT IS CURRENCY (you earn it, spend it, lose it).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'street cred' be LEAST appropriate?