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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

credit rating

Treasury yields turned higher in European trade on Monday, tracking rises in most eurozone peers, while French government bonds outperformed after Moody’s Ratings left its credit rating on France unchanged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Musk said that SpaceX’s investment-grade credit rating and its diversified business, which includes revenue from rockets and Starlink satellite technology, enabled it to land the deal.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

The decision to hold France’s credit rating could ease pressure on borrowing costs by reassuring investors that the country’s fiscal outlook hasn’t deteriorated as much as feared.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The Met, which is attempting to reverse annual losses and credit rating downgrades, seemed to have found a way forward in September 2025 when it unveiled a partnership with the Saudi Music Commission.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026

Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton was a warm woman with a soft voice and close-cropped hair who worked in customer service at a credit rating company.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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