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

Your creditors aren't obligated to negotiate or agree to settlement offers, either, and some may prefer to pursue lawsuits, bank levies or wage garnishment rather than settle. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 May 2026

The two-year period reflects how long creditors have to make claims against an estate after death. —Ronald Lipman, Houston Chronicle, 5 May 2026

The two banks that are expected to wind up as major creditors in the case provided loans to the Blackhawk Plaza owner over a period of a few years, county documents show. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 4 May 2026

Some major Spirit creditors, however, balked at the proposal, reportedly fearing their priority positions for repayment would be compromised. —David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 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