destitute

[des-ti-toot, -tyoot]

adjective

1. without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.

   Synonyms: impoverished, penniless, necessitous, indigent, poor, needy
   Antonyms: affluent

2. deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often followed byof ).

   destitute of children.

   Synonyms: deficient

verb (used with object)

destituted, destituting 

1. to leave destitute.

destitute

/ ˈdɛstɪˌtjuːt /

adjective

1. lacking the means of subsistence; totally impoverished

2. completely lacking; deprived or bereft (of)

   destitute of words

3. obsolete,  abandoned or deserted

Other Word Forms

• destitutely adverb
• destituteness noun
• predestitute adjective
• undestitute adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of destitute¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin dēstitūtus (past participle of dēstituere to abandon, deprive of support), equivalent to dē- de- + stit- place, put (combining form of statuere; statute ) + -ū- thematic vowel + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of destitute¹

C14: from Latin dēstitūtus forsaken, from dēstituere to leave alone, from statuere to place

Example Sentences

“Not an ordinary poor person, mind you, but someone who has excelled at being destitute.”

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Coal mining companies failed, and thousands of miners found themselves out of work and their families destitute.

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Support would still be available for "those who are destitute" but will be withheld from those with permission to work who do not, and from people who break the law or defy removal directions.

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Steve Smith, from refugee charity Care4Calais, told the BBC: "In terms of people seeking asylum, the government has a duty, under the Refugee Convention, to house those who would be otherwise destitute."

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"In a modern slavery context, I believe it amounts to exploitation because if you don't perform this unpaid job, you have to leave the community destitute with no money or support."

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Related Words

• bankrupt 
• exhausted 
• impoverished 
• indigent 
• insolvent 
• needy 
• penniless 
• poor 
• poverty-stricken 
• strapped