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

Claire's exited its 2018 bankruptcy with $1.9 billion less debt as its creditors took over. —Alina Selyukh, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025

Following that process, its two main creditors, hedge funds Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital, took control of the company. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2025

The second largest creditor is its litigator, Cain Law, which is owed $3 million. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Aug. 2025

Major creditors: Disaster Restoration Service LLC, Ooltewah, Tenn., $507,223; Adams and Reese LLP, Birmingham, Ala., $18,322; ADT Security Service Inc., Pittsburgh, $1,900. —Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 July 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