indigent
adjective
in·di·gent
ˈin-di-jənt 
1
: suffering from extreme poverty : impoverished
2
a
archaic
: deficient
b
archaic
: totally lacking in something specified
indigent
noun
Examples of indigent in a Sentence
… every day, I fled the house and drove aimlessly over mountain roads that passed by indigent farms and strange, unpainted churches.
—
Mark Singer, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2000 & 1 Jan. 2001
A land post was offered him in November, 1765, as Governor of Greenwich Hospital, a shelter for disabled and indigent seamen and a place affording many openings for jobbery (the contemporary term for bureaucratic graft).
—Barbara W. Tuchman, The First Salute, 1988
He went around climbing dark stairs and knocking on doors and taking flash photos of indigent families in their dwellings.
—E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
Because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him.
The clinic provides free care for indigent patients.
Mark Singer, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2000 & 1 Jan. 2001
A land post was offered him in November, 1765, as Governor of Greenwich Hospital, a shelter for disabled and indigent seamen and a place affording many openings for jobbery (the contemporary term for bureaucratic graft).
—Barbara W. Tuchman, The First Salute, 1988
He went around climbing dark stairs and knocking on doors and taking flash photos of indigent families in their dwellings.
—E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
Because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him.
The clinic provides free care for indigent patients.
Recent Examples on the Web
The office released records on the indigent kits given out over four months of last year, starting May 1, 2024.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025
In response to a lawsuit, the county in 2020 agreed to increase budget allocations for indigent defense.
—Robert Greene, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
The county’s budget for indigent defense increased by 60 percent, or an additional $115,000, for felony and misdemeanor cases both.
—Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Yet over the past two decades, state auditors have repeatedly noted the county was failing to adequately provide indigent counsel.
—Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indigent
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Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 17 Apr. 2025
In response to a lawsuit, the county in 2020 agreed to increase budget allocations for indigent defense.
—Robert Greene, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
The county’s budget for indigent defense increased by 60 percent, or an additional $115,000, for felony and misdemeanor cases both.
—Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Yet over the past two decades, state auditors have repeatedly noted the county was failing to adequately provide indigent counsel.
—Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indigent
Cite this Entry
“Indigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigent. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
indigent
adjective
in·di·gent
ˈin-di-jənt
Legal Definition
indigent
adjective
in·di·gent
ˈin-də-jənt
: suffering from indigence
the indigent defendant was provided with counsel
indigent
noun
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