debtor

noun

debt·​or ˈde-tər How to pronounce debtor (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then came Squid Game, which exploded globally in 2021 by reframing childhood games as lethal contests for desperate debtors. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025 Transfer debtors/receivables Amounts owed from other clubs in respect of outstanding transfer fee payments. Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025 The friend stored the documents in their attic, but the debtor died before retrieving them. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025 This basically means that the debt can never be discharged which puts the debtor into a really miserable position. Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for debtor

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of debtor was in the 13th century

Cite this Entry

“Debtor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debtor. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

debtor

noun
debt·​or ˈdet-ər How to pronounce debtor (audio)
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.”

More from Merriam-Webster on debtor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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