Synonyms of indigence

indigence

noun

ˈin-di-jən(t)s 

as in poverty

the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions

there are various state and federal programs to help relieve indigence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poverty
• impoverishment
• pauperism
• penury
• misery
• poorness
• necessity
• beggary
• destitution
• neediness
• need
• deprivation
• impecuniousness
• impecuniosity
• penuriousness
• wretchedness
• exigency
• privation
• bankruptcy
• destituteness
• want
• woe
• emergency
• gutter
• insolvency
• rainy day
• austerity
• pinching
• belt-tightening
• straitening

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wealth
• affluence
• richness
• opulence
• prosperity
• wealthiness
• luxury

Synonym Chooser

How is the word indigence distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of indigence are destitution, penury, poverty, and want. While all these words mean "the state of one with insufficient resources," indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances.

the indigence of her years as a graduate student

When would penury be a good substitute for indigence?

The words penury and indigence are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money.

a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

In what contexts can poverty take the place of indigence?

In some situations, the words poverty and indigence are roughly equivalent. However, poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts.

the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

How are the words want and destitution related as synonyms of indigence?

Both 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of indigence

His legal team also filed a separate motion requesting a public defender be assigned to his case, citing indigence. — Jessica Sager, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025

The ceaseless movement of staff around the world compounds this nebulous sensation of perpetual indigence. — Nick Foulkes, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024

Splendor and indigence are equally familiar to him; prudence and shame are equally alien. — Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 20 June 2022

Black and Hispanic Americans escaped indigence in record numbers. — Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2022

His children, three former child prodigies, are to blame for his financial indigence. — CNN, 13 Dec. 2021

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