bankrupt

[bangk-ruhpt, -ruhpt]

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.

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

/ 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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bankrupt¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bankrupt¹

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

Example Sentences

Even before declaring itself bankrupt, SchwuZ had already let go of around 30 of its 100 employees.

Read more on Barron's

The council had to use the same mechanism to borrow £33 million pounds for this financial year, or face declaring itself bankrupt.

Read more on BBC

Private credit, a particular worry because banks reported credit losses from a few bankrupt companies this month, likely won’t ruin the economy so soon.

Read more on Barron's

Private credit, a particular worry because banks reported credit losses from a few bankrupt companies this month, likely won’t ruin the economy so soon.

Read more on Barron's

The 47-year-old Kirkland & Ellis attorney launched into a story about how about 30 years ago, when he still had hair, he got an ear pierced at the now bankrupt mall fixture.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• broke 
• destitute 
• failed 
• insolvent