bankruptcy
Americannoun
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the state of being or becoming bankrupt.
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utter ruin, failure, depletion, or the like.
noun
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If an individual or a corporation declares bankruptcy, a court will appoint an official to make an inventory of the individual's or corporation's assets and to establish a schedule by which creditors can be partially repaid what is owed them.
An individual who is lacking a specific resource or quality is sometimes said to be bankrupt, as in intellectually bankrupt or morally bankrupt.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bankruptcy
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How does bankruptcy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Bankruptcy is a state of being bankrupt, or having no money to pay back debts that you owe. When you file for bankruptcy, you are giving up all your possessions and declaring, essentially, that you don't have any money left. During the recession, lots of businesses had to file for bankruptcy or declare by law that they were unable to pay off their debts. The ending of the word bankruptcy is a tricky one. Remember that it ends in tcy.
Vocabulary lists containing bankruptcy
Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - Introductory
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Personal Finance and Financial Literacy - High School
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Economics
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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.
Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri regarding the sale of Californians’ genetic information and material in bankruptcy.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
Akiko Matsuda is a reporter covering financial distress and restructuring for The Wall Street Journal and WSJ Pro Bankruptcy based in New York.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Appeared in the January 9, 2026, print edition as 'Saks Parent Closes In on Bankruptcy Package'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Bankruptcy Court denied New York City’s request to delay an auction of more than 5,000 rent-controlled properties.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026
But the rich man pays his entrance fee of ten pounds and is a life member of the Bankruptcy Club.
From The Law and the Poor by Parry, Edward Abbott
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.
