credit rating

American  

noun

1. a classification of credit risk based on investigation of a customer's or potential customer's financial resources, prior payment pattern, and personal history or degree of personal responsibility for debts incurred.

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credit rating British  

noun

1. an evaluation of the creditworthiness of an individual or business enterprise

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credit rating Cultural  

1. An evaluation of the financial trustworthiness of an individual, firm, or government.

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Etymology

Origin of credit rating

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

credit rating

Last month, S&P Global downgraded Oracle’s credit rating to BBB-, from BBB, on weaker free operating cash flow than previously anticipated for fiscal 2027.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

That is because the credit rating on each investment generally determines the dollar amount an insurer must set aside to protect against the risk of loss.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

President Nicusor Dan, a pro-European centrist, tried to address people's concerns last weekend after Romania avoided a downgrade of its credit rating by Fitch to "junk", or below investment grade.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

The third investigation followed the downgrading of South East Water's credit rating by Moody's in May, which meant the firm was in breach of its licence condition.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

You may make a fine employee or deserve low premiums or a good credit rating, but if your correlatives are perceived to be lacking in some way, you’ll have difficulty, too.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos