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

Authentic Greek Cuisine filed for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which means the company’s assets will be sold to pay debtors, according to the United States Courts. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025

With notions of a settlement once floated, and debtor loan plans of around $10 million in the mix to make sure lawyers are paid, the lawsuits seemed to have turned into a very un-Christian grudge match. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025

Basically, an ipso facto clause is any provision that attempts to eliminate or modify a debtor's property rights upon the filing of bankruptcy. —Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

For a big debtor like the United States—the gross U.S. debt is now nearly $37 trillion, roughly as large as that of all the other major advanced economies combined—these higher rates can really hurt. —Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 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.”