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

However, creditor agencies, including the Education Department, are required to warn borrowers of a possible upcoming offset about two months beforehand, the lawmakers said. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025

When someone fails to pay a bill, the creditor that provided the service — whether for a garage door repair, a car loan, or medical care — can take the debtor to court. —Rae Ellen Bichell, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025

The deal’s first hurdle is approval by a federal bankruptcy judge in Delaware, where the Dolphin Company is trying to raise funds and negotiate with creditors to reduce its debt and reorganize its business. —Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025

These creditors include the likes of post-production house Suite (owed £113,264); Nest Productions (owed £163,914), a production services company; and media law firm Lee & Thompson (£27,000). —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 26 Sep. 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