noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of creditor
1400–50; late Middle English creditour < Latin crēditor, equivalent to crēdi- variant stem of crēdere to believe, entrust ( see credit) + -tor -tor
Explanation
If Joe loans you two dollars so you can buy a cup of coffee, Joe is your creditor — you owe him two dollars and a big thank you! If you have a credit card, the bank that issues it to you is your creditor. What they give you is not just a piece of plastic: rather it is a line of credit or a certain amount of money that they have agreed to loan you at fixed terms. Make sure you pay it off every month or you'll become a debtor!
Vocabulary lists containing creditor
Believe It or Not: Cred
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
cred
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The GLA said that, as is standard practice in insolvency law, it had informed the administrators of the government's interest as a potential creditor.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
In person, the creditor said it broadly accepted her proposal for a debt restructuring, a breakthrough that gave Lynas breathing room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
China is also the largest single bilateral creditor with Solomon Islands debt to Chinese banks for infrastructure projects doubling last year.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
The leverage the city has on the pending sale includes its status as a creditor seeking to recoup public funds spent to protect the complex with fencing and deploy police security to prevent vandalism.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
The salesman had told Hale that because he wasn’t Roan’s relative, he could become his beneficiary only if he were his creditor.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Another advantage to a trust: For the most part, an irrevocable trust would shield assets from your mother’s creditors, if she had any.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
The league lost its Saudi backers earlier this year and star players now stand as LIV’s biggest creditors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
According to the filing, Signorello Estate believes it owes its creditors between $10 million and $50 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Sources have said contracts under the previous iteration of LIV Golf will finish because of this court filing, with amounts owed to players and other creditors addressed through the court process.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Washington Mutual followed, and was unceremoniously seized by the Treasury, wiping out both its creditors and its shareholders entirely.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
