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

Uncle Sam, already a $36 trillion debtor, dug himself deeper into financial quicksand. —Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

If a debtor has filed for bankruptcy or been officially closed, MRP is legally barred from further contact. —Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025

In fact, America is the largest debtor in the world. —David McWilliams, Time, 9 Apr. 2025

The bankruptcy filing landed in a Michigan court because the debtor's principal place of business address is in Michigan. —Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for debtor

• better
• bettor
• fetter
• getter
• letter
• netter
• petar
• petter
• rhetor
• setter
• sweater
• tetter

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.”