noun
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the state of being destitute; utter poverty
-
rare lack or deficiency
Usage
What are other ways to say destitution? Destitution is utter poverty or the lack of the means of subsistence. How does this noun compare to synonyms poverty and indigence? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of destitution
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin dēstitūtiōn- (stem of dēstitūtiō ) an abandoning, equivalent to dēstitūt ( us ) ( see destitute) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Destitution is an unfortunate state in which a person lacks something important — like money, food, companionship, or even hope. Everyone is down on their luck sometimes. Most people will get seriously sick at some point, lose a job, or have a marriage fall apart. However, most people won't fall into destitution, which is a truly hopeless state. Homeless people are in a state of destitution. People starving or without medical care are in a state of destitution. If someone is in a state of destitution, he is experiencing utter despair.
Vocabulary lists containing destitution
The Cuckoo's Calling
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Orphan Train
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The Count of Monte Cristo
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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.
Supplemental Security Income, which serves 7.5 million Americans who are unable to make a living because of severe disabilities or destitution in old age, has never been easy to qualify for.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
After years of insurgencies, residents in eastern Congo are accustomed to food shortages, inflation and destitution.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said more than half a million people were facing "catastrophic" conditions characterised by "starvation, destitution and death".
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2025
The destitution will not just be political and moral, it will be economic too.
From Salon • May 29, 2025
A public pregnancy without marriage meant disgrace and destitution.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
