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 Meanwhile, its parent Steinhoff was working with creditors in early May 2023 on a debt restructuring plan to avoid a bankruptcy filing. —

Vicki M. Young, Sourcing Journal, 25 Sep. 2024 During this process, clients are usually asked to stop making payments to their creditors and instead put money into a special savings account. —

Cnbc Select, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2024 Shareholder versus shareholders Before an eventual resolution with creditors, some shareholders took action against the firm, arguing Amex had no legal obligation to settle liabilities of AEFW. —

Phil Wahba, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2024 The current government, headed by Wickremasinghe has been in power since 2022 and negotiated with creditors and secured an extended fund facility (EFF) program with the country’s major debtor, the International Monetary Fund (IMF). —

Avi Kumar, Fox News, 21 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for creditor

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'creditor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of creditor was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Creditor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creditor. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Copy Citation

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