debtor

[ det-er ]

noun

1. a person who is in debt or under financial obligation to another ( creditor ).

debtor

/ ˈdɛtə /

noun

1. See creditor
   a person or commercial enterprise that owes a financial obligation Compare creditor

Other Words From

• non·debtor noun
• pre·debtor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of debtor¹

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 ( debt ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

The CPUC’s communication division made a verbal agreement with the accounting office in 2018 to not record outstanding citations because the debtors may no longer be in business.

From ProPublica

Although neither of those companies received money from the federal loan program, the renewed ability of their debtors to repay is probably helping other debt-collection companies, analysts said.

From Washington Post

Many debtors — the primary source of revenue for debt-collection agencies — have at least temporarily been in a better position to pay their debts.

From Washington Post

The stories exposed how high-interest lenders and medical debt collectors have taken over American courtrooms, using them to funnel debtors to jail over unpaid bills.

From ProPublica

A recent study by economists from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and the University of California, San Diego, focused on debtors who, after being sued, agreed to pay in order to avoid garnishment.

From ProPublica

But that means that the debtor will be on the hook for somewhere around 25% of the forgiven debt.

From The Daily Beast

Bartleby ends in debtor's prison, where the lawyer visits him and finds him - dead.

From The Daily Beast

Given all that, the chances of the IRS coming after the debtor for income tax on the forgiven debt are exactly zero.

From The Daily Beast

In Europe the principal divide that has opened is among countries, with debtor nations pitted against creditor nations.

From The Daily Beast

They fully understand that American military power cannot survive the United States being a huge debtor nation.

From The Daily Beast

And, 'Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.'

From Project Gutenberg

By submitting to the rite, every one that received circumcision became a debtor to do the whole law.

From Project Gutenberg

Likewise a man and a woman who are engaged to be married; and a creditor has an insurable interest in the life of his debtor.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor can a debtor compel his creditor to receive one cent and five cent pieces to a greater amount than twenty-five cents.

From Project Gutenberg

Does a debtor who turns over a note to his creditor in payment, thereby cancel the debt?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• borrower
• defaulter