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

"Suddenly I found myself without a husband, without a bank account, with a credit rating that had been absolutely destroyed."

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

Prime among those perks is a fixed interest rate; the interest rate on a private student loan can range from 2.99% to about 17.99%, based on your credit rating.

From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026

“We do not expect the increased borrowing to reflect negatively on Thailand’s sovereign credit rating, insofar as effective fiscal stimulus will boost GDP,” they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

More prone to flooding—the first to take losses—they bear a lower credit rating: triple-B.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis