Debtee

/debtˈiː/ noun

Definition

A person or entity that is owed money; a creditor or the party to whom a debt is owed.

Etymology

From 'debt' + '-ee' (person who receives an action), modeled on pairs like debtor/debtee. An archaic or rare term; modern English typically uses 'creditor' instead.

Kelly Says

English actually created 'debtee' by copying the -ee ending from 'employee' and 'payee,' but it never caught on—we decided 'creditor' was clearer. Linguistic experiments sometimes fail even when they make perfect sense.

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