indigent

[ in-di-juhnt ]
/ ˈɪn dɪ dʒənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR indigent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished.
Archaic.
  1. deficient in what is requisite.
  2. destitute (usually followed by of).

noun

a person who is indigent.

Origin of indigent

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin indigent- (stem of indigēns) present participle of indigēre to need, lack, be poor, equivalent to ind- by-form of in- in-2 (cf. indagate) + -ig- (combining form of egēre to need, lack) + -ent- -ent

OTHER WORDS FROM indigent

in·di·gent·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH indigent

indigence indigents indigent indignant

Words nearby indigent

indigence, indigene, indigenize, indigenous, indigenous australian, indigent, indigested, indigestible, indigestion, indigestive, indign

Words related to indigent

needy, penniless, impoverished, destitute, poverty-stricken, homeless, impecunious, penurious, necessitous, beggared, busted

Example sentences from the Web for indigent

British Dictionary definitions for indigent

indigent
/ (ˈɪndɪdʒənt) /

adjective

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

noun

an impoverished person

Derived forms of indigent

indigence, noun indigently, adverb

Word Origin for indigent

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