pauper
Americannoun
-
paupers
plural
-
a person without any means of support, especially a destitute person who depends on aid from public welfare funds or charity.
-
a very poor person.
noun
-
a person who is extremely poor
-
(formerly) a destitute person supported by public charity
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pauper
1485–95; < Latin: poor
Explanation
Pauper is an old-fashioned word for someone who is poor — really poor, like the paupers described by Charles Dickens or Mark Twain. The noun pauper has been around for over 500 years, but today, the word tends to mostly crop up in literature. If people use it in conversation, they tend to use the word self-deprecatingly. "I'm sorry, I can't afford to go with you to the movies. I'm living like a pauper this week, until I get paid."
Vocabulary lists containing pauper
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"A Rose for Emily"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Broke-abulary: Synonyms for "Poor"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
However, this nomad only looked like a pauper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
It also helped that Crawford was not exactly a pauper and got only marginally outspent in a race that saw over $107 million in expenditures.
From Slate ● Apr. 3, 2025
Follow the adage "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2022
De León noted that when Villaraigosa beat incumbent Hahn in 2005, Hahn was a pauper compared with Caruso.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2022
And once in the new country, arriving in Seattle, she found she had married a pauper.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
The sport of kings to some, the sport of paupers for most.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2025
"The RFU keep trumpeting community rugby as the lifeblood of the game, while at the same time seemingly treating them like paupers."
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2025
The Senate is in no great shape either, following a controversial decision to let senators dress like common paupers and Dickensian street urchins.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2023
Monica, Danny and James are toiling in the shadow of the entertainment industry — relative paupers who can’t help wondering if they’ll ever be invited to the nearby banquet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2022
Desperately ill paupers were wandering the streets, or abandoned in their homes with no one to care for them.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
