destitution

noun

des·​ti·​tu·​tion ˌde-stə-ˈtü-shən How to pronounce destitution (audio)
-ˈtyü-
: the state of being destitute
especially : such extreme want as threatens life unless relieved
Choose the Right Synonym for destitution

poverty, indigence, penury, want, destitution mean the state of one with insufficient resources.

poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts.

the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances.

the indigence of her years as a graduate student

penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money.

a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure.

lived in a perpetual state of want
the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

Examples of destitution in a Sentence

widespread destitution in Third World countries
Recent Examples on the Web Beyond air pollution there was destitution in 1975: 8% unemployment. Andy Kessler, WSJ, 31 Dec. 2023 This is to say, you can be born poor, working class or middle class, and get rich making music, maybe even music about your destitution or material lack. Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023 Robb points out that most scholars did not have lifelong economic stability and so were at risk of destitution if disease or old age forced them to stop working. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023 Whatever the bottomless wealth of the Saudi or Emirati royals, there’s the destitution of Yemen and the enduring misery of Syria’s refugees. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023 The Lebanese people have been the subject of dire predictions of malnourished destitution. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023 In the end, custody battles, investigations into psychiatric misconduct, financial fraud and destitution, and Newton’s death dissolved the group in 1991. Hannah E. Meyers, National Review, 10 Sep. 2023 The slim exhibition catalog offers a very good overview of Ceruti’s early career, the paintings’ unusual subject matter and the period’s social perceptions around destitution — a widespread, intractable condition in 18th-century Brescia. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023 The country did experience a period of democratization, but much of the public equated the new freedoms with destitution. Boris Bondarev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'destitution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of destitution was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near destitution

Cite this Entry

“Destitution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destitution. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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