creditor

noun

cred·​i·​tor ˈkre-di-tər 

-ˌtȯr

: one to whom a debt is owed

especially : a person to whom money or goods are due

Examples of creditor in a Sentence

She owes thousands of dollars to creditors.

Recent Examples on the Web

The sale proceeds will be distributed to JCPenney creditors. —Mike Snider, Freep.com, 31 July 2025

Would the creditor then just be totally out of luck in enforcing the charging order? —Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025

Nearly $445,000 of that sum has already been allocated to legal and administrative costs, leaving just over $600,000 to be divided among remaining creditors. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 28 July 2025

Japan held some leverage over the United States in its trade agreement: The nation is America’s biggest foreign creditor. —Kit Maher, CNN Money, 23 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for creditor

• editor
• predator
• coeditor

Kids Definition

creditor

noun

cred·​i·​tor ˈkred-ət-ər 

: a person to whom a debt is owed

Legal Definition

creditor

noun

cred·​i·​tor ˈkre-də-tər, -ˌtȯr 

: a person to whom a debt is owed

especially : a person to whom money or goods are due compare debtor, obligor

— general creditor

: a creditor who is not secured by a lien or other security interest

called also unsecured creditor

— judgment creditor

: a creditor who has a money judgment entered against the debtor and may enforce the judgment (as by attachment or writ of execution)

— known creditor

: a creditor whose potential claim is known or should be known by a debtor and who is entitled to notice of a corporate dissolution or of a date at which claims will be barred (as in bankruptcy)

— lien creditor

: a creditor who is secured by a lien (as by attachment)

— secured creditor

: a creditor who has a security interest (as a mortgage)

— unsecured creditor

: general creditor in this entry