Meanings
plural destitutions
- countableobsoleteuncountableThe action of deserting or abandoning.
- archaiccountableuncountableDischarge from office; dismissal.
- countableuncountableThe condition of lacking something.
He requires of his fellow man obedience to a very creditable code of morals, but he observes without shame or disapproval his God's utter destitution of morals.
1906, “Mark Twain”, in The Bible According to Mark Twain, published 1996, page 330 - countableuncountableAn extreme state of poverty, in which a person is almost completely lacking in resources or means of support.
Destitution forces many asylum seekers to end up working for extremely low wages in catering, cleaning and construction, for example, without any protection against unscrupulous employers.
2009 August 4, Rahila Gupta, The GuardianSynonyms: indigence
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn extreme state of poverty, in which a person is almost completely lacking in resources or means of support.
Origin
- Latindēstitūtiō“abandoning”
- Old Frenchdestitution
- Englishdestitution
From Old French destitution, from Latin dēstitūtiō (“abandoning”), from dēstituō.
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian мизерия
- мизерия (mizerija)extreme state of poverty
Catalan indigència
- indigènciaextreme state of poverty
Dutch ontbering, berooidheid
- ontberingcondition of lacking something
- berooidheidextreme state of poverty
- armoedeextreme state of poverty
Finnish puute, varattomuus
- puutecondition of lacking something
- varattomuusextreme state of poverty
- äärimmäinen köyhyysextreme state of poverty
French dénuement, indigence
- dénuementcondition of lacking something
- indigenceextreme state of poverty
German Armut
- Armutextreme state of poverty
Greek ένδεια, απορία
- ένδεια (éndeia)extreme state of poverty
- απορία (aporía)extreme state of poverty
Hindi कंगाली
- कंगाली (kaṅgālī)extreme state of poverty
Hungarian mélyszegénység
- mélyszegénységextreme state of poverty
Irish díothacht, díothacht
- díothachtcondition of lacking something
- díothachtextreme state of poverty
Māori tuakokatanga
- tuakokatangaextreme state of poverty
Persian فلاکت
- فلاکت (felâkat)extreme state of poverty
Portuguese destituição, penúria
- destituiçãocondition of lacking something
- penúriaextreme state of poverty
- indigênciaextreme state of poverty
Russian нужда́, нищета́
- нужда́ (nuždá)extreme state of poverty
- нищета́ (niščetá)extreme state of poverty
Scottish Gaelic airc, airc
- airccondition of lacking something
- aircextreme state of poverty
Spanish inopia, inopia
- inopiacondition of lacking something
- inopiaextreme state of poverty
Swahili ufukara
- ufukaraextreme state of poverty
Swedish armod
- armodextreme state of poverty
Ukrainian злидні, вбогість
- злидні (zlydni)extreme state of poverty
- вбогість (vbohistʹ)extreme state of poverty
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with destitution
Cite this entry
destitution. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/destitution
“destitution.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/destitution. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “destitution,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/destitution.
Source: destitution on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.