indigent

[ in-di-juhnt ]

adjective

1. lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished.

   Synonyms: distressed, penurious, necessitous

2. Archaic.
   1. deficient in what is requisite.
   2. destitute (usually followed by of ).

noun

1. a person who is indigent.

indigent

/ ˈɪndɪdʒənt /

adjective

1. so poor as to lack even necessities; very needy
2. archaic.
   usually foll by of lacking (in) or destitute (of)

noun

1. an impoverished person

Derived Forms

• ˈindigence, noun
• ˈindigently, adverb

Other Words From

• indi·gent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of indigent¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin indigent-, stem of indigēns “needing, lacking,” present participle of indigēre “to need, lack, be poor,” from ind-, variant of in- in- ² ( indagate ) + -igēre, combining form of egēre “to need, lack”

Word History and Origins

Origin of indigent¹

C14: from Latin indigēre to need, from egēre to lack

Example Sentences

This time the lawyers were working with the Oklahoma Indigent Defense Services, and they really did no better job for Rich Glossip than that first trial.

From Slate

To avoid paying the SEC judgments, prosecutors say, Bilzerian falsely represented that he was indigent.

From Los Angeles Times

But in many other instances — including in family law cases — litigants have been told to hire their own court reporter from the expensive private market, to apply for a county reporter to cover their case by proving they are indigent, or to simply go without.

From Los Angeles Times

What galls her is that “it’s so often the case that a person with a disability has to make themselves indigent in order to qualify for what they need,” Smith said.

From Los Angeles Times

And in North Carolina, the campaign is narrowly focused on promoting Democrats’ successful efforts to expand Medicaid, which will extend nearly-free government health insurance to thousands of people and reduce the indigent population for hospitals.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• destitute
• impoverished
• needy
• penniless
• poverty-stricken