hard credit inquiry

American  

[hahrd kred-it in-kwuh-ree] / ˈhɑrd ˈkrɛd ɪt ˌɪn kwə ri /

noun

Finance.

1. a formal assessment of creditworthiness made by a lender or credit issuer with the permission of a potential borrower who has applied for a loan, line of credit, or credit card.

   Hard credit inquiries appear on a person’s credit report and can affect their credit score.

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Etymology

Origin of hard credit inquiry

First recorded in 2000–05