debtor

noun

debt·​or ˈde-tər 

1

: one guilty of neglect or violation of duty

2

: one who owes a debt

Examples of debtor in a Sentence

The debtor agrees to pay the debt over a three-year period.

Recent Examples on the Web

Eventually, the debtors received an order of discharge from the bankruptcy court. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Being in the negative makes a nation a net debtor, which usually means faster capital outflows and a depreciating currency. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 18 May 2026

Calvo is taking an aggressive stance in seeking to collect outstanding balances from the debtors, including the hospitals, arguing that the city cannot continue allowing large private institutions to accumulate unpaid debt while enforcing strict payment rules on residents. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026

According to a recent Bankrate survey, 41% of credit card debtors say their debt came primarily from emergency/unexpected expenses, and 61% of them have been carrying that balance for at least a year. — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 5 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for debtor

• better
• bettor
• fetter
• getter
• letter
• netter
• petter
• rhetor
• setter
• sweater
• tetter
• vetter

Kids Definition

debtor

noun

debt·​or ˈdet-ər 

1

: sinner

2

: one that owes a debt

Legal Definition

debtor

noun

debt·​or

: a person who owes a debt see also bankrupt compare creditor, obligee, obligor

Note: The Bankruptcy Act of 1978 calls the person concerned in a bankruptcy case the “debtor” as opposed to the “bankrupt.”