pauper
Americannoun
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a person without any means of support, especially a destitute person who depends on aid from public welfare funds or charity.
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a very poor person.
noun
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a person who is extremely poor
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(formerly) a destitute person supported by public charity
Other Word Forms
- pauperage noun
- pauperdom noun
- pauperism noun
Etymology
Origin of pauper
1485–95; < Latin: poor
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.
A Nigerian mum might say: 'Do you want to live your life as a pauper forever?'
From BBC • Aug. 24, 2025
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
Gi-hun, meanwhile, is living like a pauper, holed up in an empty fleabag hotel he owns and refusing to spend any of the fortune he’d won on himself.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2024
"The consequences of this ruling and the upcoming trial, while not making him a pauper, will significantly reduce his net worth."
From Salon • Sep. 27, 2023
“Believe it or not, I have spent the day among paupers. A pauper is someone who is exceptionally poor,” she added, by way of explanation to Alexander and Beowulf.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
