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

By May 2024, Red Lobster was in bankruptcy court, and Thai Union essentially handed the keys over to creditors, including Fortress Investment Group, which emerged as the eventual owner. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

All creditors, including the families who have sued Camp Mystic over the deaths, will have a chance to respond to the plan. — Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Happy Money approves loans up to $50,000 with repayment terms as long as 84 months and sends the funds directly to your creditors. — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Additionally, per the filing, insurance coverage would first cover those claims, and if that coverage doesn't fully cover the claims, the families would share the remaining funds with the other unsecured creditors. — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

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