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

The bare-bones filing said the company had $10 million to $50 million in both assets and liabilities and between 200 and 999 creditors. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 23 June 2025

Silver filed for protection from creditors on Dec. 30, 2024. —David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2025

The trust was established earlier this year to liquidate FTX assets and distribute funds to FTX creditors and investors who lost money. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 June 2025

The total number of creditors defaulted on is between 100 and 199, per Yale Entertainment’s May 14 bankruptcy filing in the Southern District of New York. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 2 June 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