cre·den·tial 
(krĭ-dĕnshəl)
(krĭ-dĕnshəl)n.
1. That which entitles one to confidence, credit, or authority.
2. credentials Evidence or testimonials concerning one's right to credit, confidence, or authority: The new ambassador presented her credentials to the president.
tr.v. cre·den·tialed, cre·den·tial·ing, cre·den·tials
Usage Problem
Usage Problem
To supply with credentials: "trained, professional, credentialed child care" (Lee Salk).
[From Medieval Latin crēdentiālis, giving authority, from crēdentia, trust; see CREDENCE.]
Usage Note: The use of the participle credentialed to refer to certified teachers and other professionals is well established (She became credentialed through a graduate program at a local college), but its more general use to mean "possessing professional or expert credentials" is still widely considered jargon. The sentence The board heard testimony from a number of credentialed witnesses was unacceptable to 85 percent of the Usage Panel in our 1988 survey and to 59 percent in our 2006 survey, indicating that although resistance to it is lessening, its use is still not broadly accepted.