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

Fitch Ratings said it was lowering its outlook on France’s credit rating to negative from Stable, while affirming the country’s A+ ratings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Fitch Ratings lowered its outlook on France’s credit rating to negative from stable while affirming the country’s A+ ratings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

The company is “taking advantage of its AAA credit rating to secure long-term capital, preserve liquidity and accelerate investments in data centers, cloud capacity and AI infrastructure,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

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

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

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