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Synonyms

debtor

American  
[det-er] / ˈdɛt ər /

noun

  1. a person who is in debt or under financial obligation to another (creditor ).

debtor British  
/ ˈdɛtə /

noun

  1. a person or commercial enterprise that owes a financial obligation Compare creditor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nondebtor noun
  • predebtor noun

Etymology

Origin of debtor

1250–1300; Middle English detto ( u ) r < Anglo-French dett ( o ) ur, de ( b ) tour, Old French det ( t ) or < Latin dēbitōr-, stem of dēbitor, equivalent to dēbi-, variant stem of dēbēre ( debt ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The state does not notify a person when a lien names them as the debtor, allowing fake filings to remain in California’s public database for years before a victim discovers them.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026

Luminar Semi isn’t a debtor in Luminar’s chapter 11 cases and its operations are expected to be unaffected by the chapter 11 filing, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

In April, the IMF had approved a new loan of $20 billion for Argentina, already its biggest debtor.

From Barron's • Oct. 17, 2025

Pakistan has taken more than 20 loans from the IMF since 1958 and is currently its fifth-largest debtor.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2024

As a former foreign minister now serving as secretary of state, Jefferson required no instruction on the international implications of Americas debtor status.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.