debtor
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of debtor
1250–1300; Middle English detto ( u ) r < Anglo-French dett ( o ) ur, de ( b ) tour, Old French det ( t ) or < Latin dēbitōr-, stem of dēbitor, equivalent to dēbi-, variant stem of dēbēre ( see debt) + -tor -tor
Explanation
A debtor is someone who owes money. If you borrow from a bank to buy a car, you are a debtor. Most of us are debtors at some point in our lives. We borrow money to buy houses or cars, to attend college, or to tide us over when we're between jobs. Businesses and large institutions can also be debtors, and even countries are often debtors. If a developing country borrows money from a wealthier one, the borrower is a debtor. The opposite of a debtor is a creditor.
Vocabulary lists containing debtor
Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Introductory
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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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.
The court concluded that “in this case, the Debtor is not just forum shopping; the Debtor is manufacturing forum and creating a venue to file bankruptcy.”
From Slate • Jan. 31, 2023
“On the other hand, Miami-Dade County continues to supply valuable marquee naming rights and other benefits to the Debtor, to the detriment of the County’s ability to seek a new naming partner for the Arena.”
From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2022
Debtor Max Clemington and his father, Florian, set out to end their financial woes -- Florian with gambling while Max struggles to secure himself a high-society bride.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2019
Debtor states want to talk mostly about the size of transfers; creditor states focus on the binding nature of commitments.
From Economist • Oct. 31, 2013
No, my good Host, so far are you from having any thing to pardon, that I am much your Debtor.
From The Toy Shop (1735) The King and the Miller of Mansfield (1737) by Dodsley, Robert
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.
