debtor

noun

debt·​or ˈde-tər 

1

: one guilty of neglect or violation of duty

2

: one who owes a debt

Examples of debtor in a Sentence

The debtor agrees to pay the debt over a three-year period.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some argue that as a debtor nation, the U.S. is ill-suited for an SWF, which typically are associated with countries running surpluses. —James Broughel, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

The other side: Blink Fitness' debtors made a filing Monday evening in support of the sale to PureGym in response to the objection. —Richard Collings, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024

In the 19th century, members of the debtors’ movement understood that their struggles were shared. —Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024

And the profits from that purchase will now be used to settle with FTX debtors and the US government. —Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

debtor

noun

debt·​or ˈdet-ər 

1

: sinner

2

: one that owes a debt

Legal Definition

debtor

noun

debt·​or

: a person who owes a debt see also bankrupt compare creditor, obligee, obligor

Note: The Bankruptcy Act of 1978 calls the person concerned in a bankruptcy case the “debtor” as opposed to the “bankrupt.”