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

Subsequently, 27 states enacted laws that authorized cities to become debtors and seek bankruptcy protection. —John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 20 Feb. 2025

Thus, if the debtor/member were to receive a distribution then the debtor/member would have to turn it over to the creditor or else face contempt for violating the charging order. —Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

For debtors who want to pay their balances down, the best approach is to take matters into their own hands, said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. —Lorie Konish, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024

In May 2023, Tasha K made the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, to which the court notified Cardi as well as 30 debtors including the IRS, the Broward County Tax Collector, the Florida Department of Revenue, and Bank of America. —Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 6 Mar. 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.”