insolvency

I1N1S1O1L1V4E1N1C3Y4
[ɪnˈsɒlvn̩si]

noun

The condition of being insolvent; the state or condition of a person who is insolvent; the condition of being unable to pay debts as they fall due, or in the usual course of trade and business.

“the insolvency of an estate”

Opposite
solvency
OriginEnglish insolvent ← Middle English in- ← Latin in- →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nouninsolvency (countable and uncountable, plural insolvencies)

plural insolvencies

  1. countableuncountablebusinessThe condition of being insolvent; the state or condition of a person who is insolvent; the condition of being unable to pay debts as they fall due, or in the usual course of trade and business.

    The company faces insolvency.

  2. countableuncountableInsufficiency to discharge all debts of the owner.

    the insolvency of an estate

  3. countableuncountableThe condition of having more debts than assets.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
solvency

nounthe lack of financial resources

Opposite
solvency
Broader
financial condition

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Middle Englishin-
  6. Englishin-
  7. Englishsolvent
  8. Englishinsolvent
  9. Englishinsolvency

From insolvent + -cy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إِعْسَار, إِعْسَار مَالِيّ
  • إِعْسَار (ʔiʕsār)the condition of being insolvent
  • إِعْسَار مَالِيّ (ʔiʕsār māliyy)the condition of being insolvent
Bulgarian неплатежоспосо́бност, банкрут
  • неплатежоспосо́бност (neplatežosposóbnost)the condition of being insolvent
  • банкрут (bankrut)the condition of being insolvent
Catalan insolvència
  • insolvènciathe condition of being insolvent
Chinese Mandarin 無力償還 /无力偿还
  • 無力償還 /无力偿还 (wúlì chánghuán)the condition of being insolvent
Czech insolvence, platební neschopnost
  • insolvencethe condition of being insolvent
  • platební neschopnostthe condition of being insolvent
Danish insolvens
  • insolvensthe condition of being insolvent
Esperanto nesolventeco
  • nesolventecothe condition of being insolvent
Finnish maksukyvyttömyys
  • maksukyvyttömyysthe condition of being insolvent
French insolvabilité
  • insolvabilitéthe condition of being insolvent
German Insolvenz, Zahlungsunfähigkeit
  • Insolvenzthe condition of being insolvent
  • Zahlungsunfähigkeitthe condition of being insolvent
Hungarian fizetőképtelenség, fizetésképtelenség
  • fizetőképtelenségthe condition of being insolvent
  • fizetésképtelenségthe condition of being insolvent
Italian insolvenza
  • insolvenzathe condition of being insolvent
Japanese 支払不能, 倒産
  • 支払不能 (shiharai-funō)the condition of being insolvent
  • 倒産 (tōsan)the condition of being insolvent
Korean 지불 불능, 채무 초과
  • 지불 불능 (jibul bulleung)the condition of being insolvent
  • 채무 초과 (chaemu chogwa)the condition of being insolvent
  • 파산 (pasan)the condition of being insolvent
Malay insolvensi, ketakmampuan bayar
  • insolvensithe condition of being insolvent
  • ketakmampuan bayarthe condition of being insolvent
  • kemuflisanthe condition of being insolvent
Māori pēkeraputanga
  • pēkeraputangathe condition of being insolvent
Norwegian Bokmål insolvens
  • insolvensthe condition of being insolvent
Polish niewypłacalność, upadłość
  • niewypłacalnośćthe condition of being insolvent
  • upadłośćthe condition of being insolvent
Portuguese insolvência
  • insolvênciathe condition of being insolvent
Romanian insolvență, insolvabilitate
  • insolvențăthe condition of being insolvent
  • insolvabilitatethe condition of being insolvent
Russian неплатёжеспосо́бность, несостоя́тельность
  • неплатёжеспосо́бность (neplatjožesposóbnostʹ)the condition of being insolvent
  • несостоя́тельность (nesostojátelʹnostʹ)the condition of being insolvent
Spanish insolvencia
  • insolvenciathe condition of being insolvent
Swahili ufilisi
  • ufilisithe condition of being insolvent
Swedish insolvens
  • insolvensthe condition of being insolvent
Ukrainian неплатоспромо́жність
  • неплатоспромо́жність (neplatospromóžnistʹ)the condition of being insolvent
Cite this entry
APA

insolvency. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insolvency

MLA

“insolvency.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insolvency. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “insolvency,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insolvency.

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