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

At filing, the airline owed secured and unsecured creditors more than $400 million. —David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2025

Closing labor and delivery provided enough financial breathing room for the organization to start paying off its creditors and now, according to the latest budget report presented to the Tri-City board last month, the picture is vastly different. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025

The key lesson, however, is that as an international debtor, even with a large market and having the world’s reserve currency, like the U.S., is vulnerable to actions by its creditors. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 8 June 2025

Yet as lending has tapered off and grace periods on many loans have expired, China has emerged as the world's largest official creditor, according to a new report from the Lowy Institute, an Australian foreign policy think tank. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 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