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Synonyms

insolvent

American  
[in-sol-vuhnt] / ɪnˈsɒl vənt /

adjective

  1. not solvent; unable to satisfy creditors or discharge liabilities, either because liabilities exceed assets or because of inability to pay debts as they mature.

    Synonyms:
    bankrupt, impoverished, destitute, penniless

  2. pertaining to bankrupt persons or bankruptcy.

noun

  1. a person who is insolvent.

insolvent British  
/ ɪnˈsɒlvənt /

adjective

  1. (of a person, company, etc) having insufficient assets to meet debts and liabilities; bankrupt

  2. of or relating to bankrupts or bankruptcy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person who is insolvent; bankrupt

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • insolvency noun

Etymology

Origin of insolvent

First recorded in 1585–95; in- 3 + solvent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But like an insurance company, if a CDS seller has many claims to pay and not enough money to pay them, it becomes insolvent.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

However, as oil production declines and fossil fuel companies increasingly become insolvent, California regulators worry taxpayers may have to assume the costs to plug these wells.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

Social Security’s trust fund is currently projected to be insolvent in 2033.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 28, 2026

What happens if the annuity issuer becomes insolvent?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

The banking system was insolvent, he assumed, and that implied some grave upheaval.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.