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

The third investigation followed the downgrading of South East Water's credit rating by Moody's in May, which meant the firm was in breach of its licence condition.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 20, 2026

The credit rating agency believes the risk has graduated from a cryptocurrency-specific problem to a broader threat affecting banks and custodians.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

There was a natural role for a blue-chip corporation with the highest credit rating to stand in the middle of swaps and long-term options and the other risk-spawning innovations.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis