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

Another was sent to live with her destitute biological family after acting out.

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He ended up on the streets, in homes for the destitute, or working on tea estates in Assam.

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The government is legally required to house asylum seekers if they would otherwise be destitute.

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The UK is legally-bound to find homes for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while they wait for a decision to be made on their asylum claim.

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The government is legally-bound to find homes for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while they wait for a decision to be made on their asylum claim.

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Related Words

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