consumer credit

American  

noun

1. credit extended by a retail store, bank, finance company, or other lender, chiefly for the purchase of consumer goods.

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Etymology

Origin of consumer credit

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

And consumer credit if we cap credit-card interest rates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

Home-equity loans are the fastest-growing category of consumer credit, although from a low base, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The economics calendar includes weekly jobless claims and the latest readings on the trade deficit and productivity, with consumer credit data set for release at 3 p.m.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

The blowups triggered new scrutiny of consumer credit and lenders, including those exposed to the estimated $3 trillion private-credit business, a catchall for financing that occurs outside of the traditional banking system.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 23, 2025

Stage One was to apply a formula that had been dreamed up to cope with corporate credit risk to consumer credit risk.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis