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

The other positive part of this story: You both have money to invest in property, or at least the wherewithal to take out loans collectively, so I assume his credit rating is relatively good.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Insurance shoppers can also measure an insurer’s financial strength by checking its credit rating through agencies like A.M.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Fitch Ratings upgraded CK Hutchison’s credit rating, viewing geopolitical risk as manageable and the Panama port issue as minimal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Both Fitch and S&P Global have assigned Paramount a BB+ issuer credit rating, also referred to as junk status.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

I made Bryce twenty-two years old and gave him a brand-new Social Security number, an immaculate credit rating, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline