debtor

American  

[det-er] / ˈdɛt ər /

noun

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

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debtor British  

/ ˈdɛtə /

noun

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

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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

They will then understand the chit as worthless, which must mean the exclusion of the debtor from the game.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s not a routine Chapter 11 case,” a lawyer for lenders that have agreed to provide First Brands with more than $1 billion in emergency debtor financing told the judge.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Barron's

Those failed attempts have made Argentina the International Monetary Fund’s largest debtor, with more than $41 billion currently owed to the IMF.

From Barron's

He also noted that the church could have used this time to rearrange money and property to make sure certain funds or accounts are not part of the debtor’s estate.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• borrower
• defaulter