bankrupt

[ bangk-ruhpt, -ruhpt ]
See synonyms for: bankruptbankruptedbankruptingbankrupts on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Law. a person who upon their own petition or that of their creditors is adjudged insolvent by a court and whose property is administered for and divided among their creditors under a bankruptcy law.

  2. any insolvent debtor; a person unable to satisfy any just claims made upon them.

  1. a person who is lacking in a particular thing or quality: a moral bankrupt.

adjective
  1. Law. subject to or under legal process because of insolvency; insolvent.

  2. at the end of one's resources; lacking (usually followed by of or in): bankrupt of compassion;bankrupt in good manners.

  1. related to the act or process of being adjudged insolvent by a court and having one's property andministered for and divided among one's creditors.

verb (used with object)
  1. to make insolvent: His embezzlement bankrupted the company.

Origin of bankrupt

1
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin banca rupta “bank broken”; replacing adaptations of Italian banca rota and French banqueroute in same sense

Other words for bankrupt

Other words from bankrupt

  • pseu·do·bank·rupt, adjective
  • quasi-bankrupt, adjective

Words Nearby bankrupt

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How to use bankrupt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bankrupt

bankrupt

/ (ˈbæŋkrʌpt, -rəpt) /


noun
  1. a person adjudged insolvent by a court, his or her property being transferred to a trustee and administered for the benefit of his creditors

  2. any person unable to discharge all his or her debts

  1. a person whose resources in a certain field are exhausted or nonexistent: a spiritual bankrupt

adjective
  1. adjudged insolvent

  2. financially ruined

  1. depleted in resources or having completely failed: spiritually bankrupt

  2. (foll by of) British lacking: bankrupt of intelligence

verb
  1. (tr) to make bankrupt

Origin of bankrupt

1
C16: from Old French banqueroute, from Old Italian bancarotta, from banca bank 1 + rotta broken, from Latin ruptus, from rumpere to break

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