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

S&P Global issued a report last week that assigned SpaceX a “BBB” credit rating, the lowest possible rating to qualify as an investment grade credit risk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026

Guterres also denounced global lending systems, debt burdens and international credit rating structures that he said unfairly disadvantaged African economies.

From BBC ● May 12, 2026

Currently both have an single-A-plus average credit rating and similar duration around 6.1 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 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