as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to represent him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pauper
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indigent
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Prior to the sentencing, the defense objected to imposing any court fees or fines, saying Jake Haro is indigent and a public defender client.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indigent
Adjective
Singh’s attorney told the court that his client is indigent but has received some third-party assistance to fund the defense.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Prior to the sentencing, the defense objected to imposing any court fees or fines, saying Jake Haro is indigent and a public defender client.
—Megan Forrester, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
Lower than proletariat workers, the lumpenproletariat includes the indigent and the unemployable, those cast out of the workforce with no recourse, or those who can’t enter it in the first place, such as young workers in times of economic depression.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indigent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indigent
Adjective
-
Critics call it a venue for the world’s elites to hobnob and do business that sometimes comes at the expense of workers, the impoverished or people on the margins of society.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Almost every child who goes into foster care is impoverished and almost all leave foster care broke.—
Joseph Shapiro,
NPR,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Tate eventually moved in with her family, who rejected Austen; Austen moved to the Staten Island Farm Colony, a pauper’s hospital.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
22 Nov. 2025
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When the new sections were added, the old burying ground became a pauper's cemetery for poor White and and Black residents.—
Alexandria Burris,
IndyStar,
14 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With fewer homes available for median earners, today's housing market is widening the gap between the haves and have-nots, with younger Americans less likely to buy a home, the study says.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
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Based on the video game from Bethesda Game Studios, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indigent. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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