consumer credit

noun

: credit granted to an individual especially to finance the purchase of consumer goods or to defray personal expenses

Examples of consumer credit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, borrowers with low FICO scores — a barometer of consumer credit scores — are showing greater signs of stress. — Sharon Epperson,stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

Despite the average credit score being unchanged at 714 from October, there are affordability pressures building beneath the surface, according to FICO, which tallies FICO Scores used by lenders to measure consumer credit risk. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and other consumer credit are tied to rates on long-term bonds. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

As yields rise, so do the interest rates on a range of consumer credit products, such as mortgages and car loans, making the cost of borrowing more expensive for everyone. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for consumer credit

• accredit
• discredit
• noncredit
• dedit
• edit
• microcredit

Legal Definition

consumer credit

noun

: credit extended by merchants or banks to finance the purchase of consumer goods (as home appliances) or services (as travel or hotel accommodations) compare consumer debt at debt