pauper

American

[paw-per] / ˈpɔ pər /

noun

a person without any means of support, especially a destitute person who depends on aid from public welfare funds or charity.
a very poor person.

pauper British

/ ˈpɔːpə /

noun

a person who is extremely poor
(formerly) a destitute person supported by public charity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

pauperage noun
pauperdom noun
pauperism noun

Etymology

Origin of pauper

1485–95; < Latin: poor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A Nigerian mum might say: 'Do you want to live your life as a pauper forever?'

From BBC • Aug. 24, 2025

Gi-hun, meanwhile, is living like a pauper, holed up in an empty fleabag hotel he owns and refusing to spend any of the fortune he’d won on himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2024

For most of human history, identity was ascribed at birth: pauper, peasant, preacher, princess.

From Slate • Aug. 3, 2024

"The consequences of this ruling and the upcoming trial, while not making him a pauper, will significantly reduce his net worth."

From Salon • Sep. 27, 2023

Deng Yi-yi, no longer dressed like a pauper, was smiling at us.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023