debtor

noun

debt·​or ˈde-tər 

1

: one guilty of neglect or violation of duty

2

: one who owes a debt

Examples of debtor in a Sentence

The debtor agrees to pay the debt over a three-year period.

Recent Examples on the Web

Once an effective date is reached, the debtors (FTX) will have 60 days to make distributions to a class of creditors known as the convenience class; in case of this distribution that class includes any individual customer claims under $50,000. —Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024

China has one advantage, according to the Bridgewater founder: Most of China’s bad debt is denominated in yuan, with debtors and creditors often both being Chinese citizens. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Asia, 2 Oct. 2024

The problem arises when there is a distribution from the ERISA plan to the debtor. —Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

Federal law prohibits chasing debtors who have filed for bankruptcy, and Coughlin sued the tribe in a dispute that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. —Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

debtor

noun

debt·​or ˈdet-ər 

1

: sinner

2

: one that owes a debt

Legal Definition

debtor

noun

debt·​or

: a person who owes a debt see also bankrupt compare creditor, obligee, obligor

Note: The Bankruptcy Act of 1978 calls the person concerned in a bankruptcy case the “debtor” as opposed to the “bankrupt.”