insolvency
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of insolvency
First recorded in 1650–60; insolv(ent) + -ency
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Explanation
Insolvency is when someone is completely out of money. A company's insolvency means that it isn't able to pay its workers and may have to go out of business. A family's insolvency is a frightening thing — it might result in the loss of their home, for example, since they can't afford to pay their bills. The noun insolvency is more often used to describe the financial troubles of a business or other organization. If your tennis club faces insolvency, it may need to seek help from investors or close altogether. The adjective insolvent means "unable to pay one's debts," combining the roots in, "not," and solventem, "paying."
Vocabulary lists containing insolvency
Jane Eyre
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The Princess Bride
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Vocabulary from the Twelfth Republican Debate, March 10, 2016
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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.
The Insolvency Service banned Greensill for breaching his legal duty as a director, citing transactions that caused a Credit Suisse fund a $440 million loss.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
“Director disqualifications exist to protect the public from those who have demonstrated they are unfit to run companies,” said Duncan Beach, head of the Insolvency Service.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Thursday’s ban by the Insolvency Service revolves around one specific allegation: that Greensill made three firms in his group enter into a series of transactions with U.S. construction company Katerra in late 2020.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The Insolvency Service, a branch of the Department of Business and Trade, ran the company and underwrote its losses after it collapsed in 2019.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Insolvency attended with circumstances of misconduct or fraud is known as banqueroute simple or banqueroute frauduleuse.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" by Various
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.
