insolvent

[ in-sol-vuhnt ]

adjective

1. not solvent; unable to satisfy creditors or discharge liabilities, either because liabilities exceed assets or because of inability to pay debts as they mature.

   Synonyms: bankrupt, impoverished, destitute, penniless

2. pertaining to bankrupt persons or bankruptcy.

noun

1. a person who is insolvent.

insolvent

/ ɪnˈsɒlvənt /

adjective

1. (of a person, company, etc) having insufficient assets to meet debts and liabilities; bankrupt
2. of or relating to bankrupts or bankruptcy

noun

1. a person who is insolvent; bankrupt

Derived Forms

• inˈsolvency, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of insolvent¹

First recorded in 1585–95; in- ³ + solvent

Example Sentences

Soon the nation would have no choice but to declare itself insolvent, instigating a battle with the dozens of banks and creditors that held its $8 billion in debt and triggering austerity measures that would spiral the island into further poverty.

From ProPublica

Evan Chesler, one of Musk's attorneys, said at the hearing that the deal was not a bailout and that SolarCity is far from insolvent and that its finances are similar to those of many high-growth companies.

From TechCrunch

The plan was declared insolvent and placed in receivership in 2017.

From ProPublica

The money was instead deposited into accounts tied to the previous owners, leaving the new owners with few options as they tried to keep the facilities from becoming insolvent.

From ProPublica

When it collapsed in June, pressure to overhaul the index mounted as existing rules didn’t allow for the benchmark’s first-ever insolvent member to be ejected right away.

From Fortune

For more than a year now, little Greece has been insolvent after its politicians recklessly piled up $467 billion in debt.

From The Daily Beast

"Your claim is with a hopelessly insolvent company," he told Gettelfinger.

From The Daily Beast

The truth, as many experts have maintained, is that the leading banks are insolvent, and have been so for more than a year.

From The Daily Beast

As we have seen over the last 18 months, the latter is what near- insolvent banks do.

From The Daily Beast

And the reality is, if the subprime securities are truly trash, most of the big banks are troubled and some are insolvent.

From The Daily Beast

Now men laughed at him, pointed to him with their fingers, and made their children mock and hoot the penniless insolvent.

From Project Gutenberg

Unless the maker of a note is insolvent, a bank can never pay the unmatured note of a depositor.

From Project Gutenberg

Sganerelle demands the payment of his wages from his henceforth insolvent master.

From Project Gutenberg

Old Strang died insolvent; he used to gamble, had ruined himself without saying a word.

From Project Gutenberg

And Rembrandt died insolvent, while Sir Godfrey amassed a fortune!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bankrupt
• broke
• failed
• indebted
• strapped