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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

credit rating

Delaware Life executives told one credit rating firm they were unaware the loans were made to entities tied to Walter, the Journal reported.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

On Thursday, the company received a “BBB” credit rating from S&P Global Ratings.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026

On Thursday, Moody's downgraded its credit rating for South East Water, citing the "fallout" from supply failures and "continued resilience risk the company faces".

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

There are even some corporate issuers that have the same or higher credit rating as the U.S. government: Microsoft, for example, is rated triple-A, with the U.S. one notch below that.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 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