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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• credit scores
  plural

Etymology

Origin of credit score

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Lease payments depend on a range of factors, including the car’s projected value at the end of the lease, a buyer’s down payment and credit score, interest rates and more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

As this was my son’s first card, we didn’t know his credit score yet.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

RentPlus’s website says the service “makes it possible to lift your credit score by simply paying your regular rent on time and enjoy access to ID and fraud protection and financial security-building resources.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

On-time payments have a heavy influence on your credit score, so one easy way to start this process is by applying for a credit card and just using it to pay for gas, Johnston said.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

The player winning the first stroke gets a credit score of 15; for the second he gets 30; for the third 40, and if he wins the fourth he has the game.

From Entertainments for Home, Church and School by Seeger, Frederica