destitute
adjective
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.
Examples of destitute in a Sentence
Kayti Burt, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
To make matters worse, the equally destitute viewing public is rewarded for ratting out the runners (or killing the contestants themselves), which pits neighbor against neighbor in a way that keeps the underclass at war with itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
Palestinians in Gaza are destitute.
—Lydia Polgreen, Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2025
The movement of aid has increased through Israel’s border, but on a scale that Palestinians say falls short of the needs of a destitute populace.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for destitute
Cite this Entry
“Destitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destitute. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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destitute
adjective
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