noun
Other Word Forms
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
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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 Thames Water Creditor Group have submitted to Ofwat a £17bn plan for the recapitalisation of the water company.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2025
The approval follows Sri Lanka’s agreement with an Official Creditor Committee on debt restructuring, covering about $5.9 billion of outstanding public debt.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2023
De Toledo 81, Beacon Hill 32: Michael Galeck scored 31 points and Max Creditor 23 in a 5AA opener.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2023
Creditor banks in Germany will almost certainly have to take some losses to get the Greek government’s ledgers back into balance.
From The New Yorker • Jul. 13, 2015
"But the great Creditor is merciful, and exacts not the pledge rigorously nor untimely."
From The Talisman by Scott, Walter, Sir
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.
