bankrupt

American  

[bangk-ruhpt, -ruhpt] / ˈbæŋk rʌpt, -rəpt /

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.

3. a person who is lacking in a particular thing or quality.

   a moral bankrupt.

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adjective

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

   Synonyms:

   impoverished, destitute

2. at the end of one's resources; lacking (usually followed by of orin ).

   bankrupt of compassion;

   bankrupt in good manners.

3. 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.

bankrupt British  

/ 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

3. a person whose resources in a certain field are exhausted or nonexistent

   a spiritual bankrupt

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adjective

1. adjudged insolvent

2. financially ruined

3. depleted in resources or having completely failed

   spiritually bankrupt

4. (foll by of) lacking

   bankrupt of intelligence

verb

1. (tr) to make bankrupt

Other Word Forms

• pseudobankrupt adjective
• quasi-bankrupt adjective

Etymology

Origin of bankrupt

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

Example Sentences

“It is legally indefensible, morally bankrupt and completely untethered from the scientific record.”

From Los Angeles Times

The First Punic War spanned 23 years and nearly bankrupted both sides.

From The Wall Street Journal

The meteorologist from Cincinnati spins the wheel and goes bankrupt, but then the schoolteacher from Kansas manages to find three Ns in the puzzle.

From Literature

PdVSA is now virtually bankrupt, with roughly $60 billion in external debt and little hope of raising its production on its own, according to Venezuelan economists.

From The Wall Street Journal

At least three went bankrupt in the following year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• broke
• destitute
• failed
• insolvent