Credentialize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To give official recognition or certification to someone's qualifications or skills
2. To validate the credentials of an individual, often through a formal process
3. To assess and authenticate the professional qualifications or expertise of a person for a specific purpose

Etymology: "Credentialize" is a plain formation: the noun "credential" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize" attached, meaning to turn something into a matter of official qualifications or to certify someone through formal credentials. The noun "credential" itself comes from the Latin "credentia," meaning belief or trust, from "credere," to believe, the same root that gives "credit" and "creed." The suffix does the real work here. "-ize" comes from Greek "-izein" and has long been used to turn nouns and adjectives into verbs, as in "modernize" or "computerize." Adding it to "credential" produces a verb that treats qualifications as something that can be conferred or processed, which is why the word tends to appear in discussions of licensing, professional certification, and institutional recognition.

Synonyms: certify, authorize