insolvent
Americanadjective
-
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
-
pertaining to bankrupt persons or bankruptcy.
noun
adjective
-
(of a person, company, etc) having insufficient assets to meet debts and liabilities; bankrupt
-
of or relating to bankrupts or bankruptcy
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insolvent
Explanation
Piggy bank empty? Nothing but lint in your pockets? Then you're probably unable to meet any financial obligations. In other words, you are insolvent. Being insolvent isn't just about being poor. A person or business that's insolvent has no resources, no assets and no way to pay any of the bills. This adjective insolvent is a synonym for bankrupt, and surely the last thing anyone wants to be. The only way to solve the problem of insolvency? Start saving your pennies again from scratch.
Vocabulary lists containing insolvent
100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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Broke-abulary: Synonyms for "Poor"
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, "The Military-Industrial Complex" (1961)
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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.
Insolvent usually describes a business or individual that can’t pay its debts as they come due.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
In 1766 an Insolvent Debtors' Relief Bill was brought into the House in his absence.
From Life of Johnson, Volume 3 1776-1780 by Hill, George Birkbeck Norman
It appears, however, that the gentleman changed his mind and did not commit suicide, but surrendered at the Insolvent Debtor's Court to be dealt with according to law, which was a much wiser resolution.
From The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims Volume I (of II) by Steinmetz, Andrew
Nor will I allow you, with one letter, to take advantage of the Insolvent Act, and thus to free yourself from all claims at once.
From The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Volume I (of 2) by Marshall, Florence A. Thomas
You’re a man of talent; you can get anybody through the Insolvent Court, Pell; and your country should be proud of you.’
From The Law and Lawyers of Pickwick A Lecture by Lockwood, Frank, Sir
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.
