credit score

American  

[kred-it skawr] / ˈkrɛd ɪt ˌskɔr /

noun

Personal Finance.

credit scores plural

1. a numerical ranking of an individual’s financial creditworthiness based on spending and credit history, indicating to potential lenders and credit card issuers the individual’s capacity and likelihood to make timely payments of amounts due on loans or credit cards.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• credit scores
  plural

Etymology

Origin of credit score

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

If it is settled later, it remains on an individual's credit report with a note marking that it's been paid.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

We are calling for a single credit report only for borrowers with a credit score above 700.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Lenders would have a strong incentive to use the credit report that is most flattering to the borrower since they aren’t on the hook if a loan defaults.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

“Late and missed credit-card payments may stay on your credit report for years and seriously damage your credit score.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

With Dun and Bradstreet, you call them for a credit report and they send it to you.

From The Online World by De Presno, Odd