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

That’s over four times greater than the IMF’s second largest debtor, Ukraine. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025

Student loan borrowers in Vermont face the highest repayments in the nation, according to a new study by WalletHub, with the average debtor owing a median $248 per month. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

If the debtor-in-possession financing is approved, $200 million would be available immediately. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025

In Montana, legislation to shield a portion of debtors' assets from garnishment easily passed a committee. —Noam Levey, NPR, 25 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for debtor

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

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.”