indigent

American  

[in-di-juhnt] / ˈɪn dɪ dʒənt /

adjective

1. lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished.

   Synonyms:

   distressed, penurious, necessitous

2. Archaic.

   1. deficient in what is requisite.

   2. destitute (usually followed byof ).

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noun

1. a person who is indigent.

indigent British  

/ ˈɪndɪdʒənt /

adjective

1. so poor as to lack even necessities; very needy

2. archaic (usually foll by of) lacking (in) or destitute (of)

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noun

1. an impoverished person

Other Word Forms

• indigence noun
• indigently adverb

Etymology

Origin of indigent

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin indigent-, stem of indigēns “needing, lacking,” present participle of indigēre “to need, lack, be poor,” from ind-, variant of in- in- ² ( indagate ) + -igēre, combining form of egēre “to need, lack”

Example Sentences

Dueñas, a 2019 ruling from the state’s appellate division that found imposing mandatory fines on indigent people ran afoul of the 8th Amendment, which prohibits excessive fines along with cruel and unusual punishment.

From Los Angeles Times

District Court for the Central District of California, noting that court-appointed private attorneys who represent indigent federal criminal defendants have been working without pay since funds ran out in July.

From Los Angeles Times

That means the system already profoundly disadvantages indigent asylum seekers — they can’t afford a lawyer, often don’t speak English and have no road map for navigating arcane immigration law.

From Los Angeles Times

In it, he condemned “wealthy owners and all masters” who sought to profit off “the indigent and destitute.”

From Los Angeles Times

As a young immigration lawyer in California’s Central Valley, Matthew Barragan cut his teeth defending the rights of indigent workers facing deportation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• destitute
• impoverished
• needy
• penniless
• poverty-stricken