a person or commercial enterprise that owes a financial obligation
Compare creditor
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
debt /dɛt/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- something that is owed or that one should pay to another:[countable]We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his help.
- an obligation to pay or perform something:[uncountable]He was in debt to the amount of $200,000.
debt•or
(det′ər),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a person who is in debt or under financial obligation to another (opposed to creditor).
- Latin dēbitōr-, stem of dēbitor, equivalent. to dēbi-, variant stem of dēbēre (see debt) + -tor -tor
- Anglo-French dett(o)ur, de(b)tour, Old French det(t)or
- Middle English detto(u)r 1250–1300
debt
(det),USA pronunciation n.
debt′less, adj.
- something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another:a debt of $50.
- a liability or obligation to pay or render something:My debt to her for advice is not to be discharged easily.
- the condition of being under such an obligation:His gambling losses put him deeply in debt.
- Religion[Theol.]an offense requiring reparation;
a sin;
a trespass.
- Latin dēbita (neuter plural, taken in Vulgar Latin as feminine singular), noun, nominal use of dēbitus, past participle of dēbēre to owe, contraction of *dēhabēre, equivalent. to dē- de- + habēre to have, possess
- Old French
- Middle English dette 1175–1225
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged obligation, duty, due.
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