Definition of DESTITUTE (original) (raw)

: lacking something needed or desirable

: lacking possessions and resources

especially : suffering extreme poverty

Did you know?

You may be surprised to learn that "destitute" is related to words like "statue," "statute," and even "statistics." The Latin word status, meaning "position" or "state," is the source of these and other English words. Some terms of this family are directly related to "status," while others come to English through "statuere," a Latin derivative of "status" that means "to set up." "Destitute" came from "destituere" ("to abandon" or "to deprive"), a joining of "statuere" and the prefix de- ("from, down, away"). "Statuere" also gave us "constitute," "institute," and "restitution," among other similar-sounding words.

Synonyms

Examples of destitute in a Sentence

His business failures left him destitute. many families were left destitute by the horrible fire

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Mauritius may have gambled with its national dowry, but its consideration for a destitute citizenry wasn’t merely notional. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 The migrant workers abandoned in Lebanon Migrant workers in Lebanon, the vast majority of which are women, have been made destitute by Israel’s bombardment. —Andrew Torgan, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024 Pamela Bailey operates her own small non-profit providing information to prisoners, many of whom are destitute and are looking for information. —Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 While Matson’s parents moved him and his brother from the hollers of West Virginia to Cincinnati at age five — his grandfather, George, was raised in destitute poverty. —Omaid Homayun, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for destitute