indigence

noun in·di·gence \ ˈin-di-jən(t)s \

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: indigence in a Sentence

Definition of indigence

: a level of poverty in which real hardship and deprivation are suffered and comforts of life are wholly lacking

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Examples of indigence in a Sentence

there are various state and federal programs to help relieve indigence

Recent Examples of indigence from the Web

The indigence hearing to decide whether taxpayers should stop paying for his defense team will be held in the county.

— faith karimi, CNN, "Judge to determine if taxpayers should stop paying Nikolas Cruz's legal fees," 11 Apr. 2018
The redemption concerns a feckless pothead (Miles Teller) whose pregnant girlfriend has left him because of his indigence and dissolution.

— andy webster, New York Times, "Review: ‘Only the Brave’ Is an Inspiring Tale of Firefighter Sacrifice," 19 Oct. 2017
Payment was a democratic innovation to ensure that poor citizens would not be prevented from civic engagement by indigence.

— nick romeo, National Geographic, "What Modern Democracies Didn’t Copy From Ancient Greece," 4 Nov. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'indigence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of indigence

14th century

in the meaning defined above

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indigence Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of indigence

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.