indigence

I1N1D2I1G2E1N1C3E1
/ˈɪndɪd͡ʒəns/

noun

Extreme poverty or destitution.

Similar
indigencyneedpenurypauperismpauperization
Opposite
affluence
OriginMiddle English indigence ← Old French indigence ← Latin indigentia →
RareScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounindigence (countable and uncountable, plural indigences)

plural indigences

  1. countableuncountableExtreme poverty or destitution.

    On Professor Solanka’s street, well-heeled white youths lounged in baggy garments on roseate stoops, stylishly simulating indigence while they waited for the billionairedom that would surely be along sometime soon.

    2001, Salman Rushdie, Fury: A Novel, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 4

    Synonyms: indigency · Antonyms: affluence

Synonyms & antonyms

nounExtreme poverty or destitution.

Similar
indigency
Opposite
affluence

More synonyms by meaning

nouna state of extreme poverty or destitution

Similar
needpenurypauperismpauperization
Broader
povertypoornessimpoverishment
Also see
brokenessdestitutionmiserymoneylessnessneedpauperismpauperizationpennilessnesspenurypoverty

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinindigentia
  2. Old Frenchindigence
  3. Middle Englishindigence
  4. Englishindigence

From Middle English indigence, late 14th century, from Old French indigence (13th century), from Latin indigentia, from indigentem, form of indigēre (“to need”), from indu (“in, within”) + egēre (“be in need, want”). Only relation to antonym affluence is common Latinate suffix + -ence.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian бедност, сиромашия
  • бедност (bednost)poverty
  • сиромашия (siromašija)poverty
Dutch behoeftigheid
  • behoeftigheidpoverty
Finnish varattomuus
  • varattomuuspoverty
French indigence
  • indigencepoverty
Greek πενία, ένδεια
  • πενία (penía)poverty
  • ένδεια (éndeia)poverty
Italian indigenza
  • indigenzapoverty
Latin indigentia
  • indigentiapoverty
Portuguese indigência
  • indigênciapoverty
Russian бе́дность, нужда́
  • бе́дность (bédnostʹ)poverty
  • нужда́ (nuždá)poverty
Spanish indigencia, inopia
  • indigenciapoverty
  • inopiapoverty
Swahili ufukara
  • ufukarapoverty
Turkish fukaralık, yoksulluk
  • fukaralıkpoverty
  • yoksullukpoverty
Ukrainian біднота́
  • біднота́ (bidnotá)poverty
Cite this entry
APA

indigence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indigence

MLA

“indigence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indigence. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indigence,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indigence.

Source: indigence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.