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

Giuliani, former President Trump's ex-personal lawyer, has a myriad of other creditors who may begin pursuing remedies as well. —Jacob Knutson, Axios, 12 July 2024

The creditors included Walmart and Walgreens — where some of the kiosks were located —, as well as media companies like Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, and Lionsgate. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 12 July 2024

This prevents the bankruptcy entity from selling assets and paying creditors at their discretion or not at all. —Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2024

But the official creditors committee wants to remain in the bankruptcy system, worried that they’d otherwise be left with nothing. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 10 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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