Definitions

destitution

[des-ti-too-shuhn, -tyoo-] / ˌdɛs tɪˈtu ʃən, -ˈtyu- /

NOUN

indigence

Synonyms

STRONG

poverty privation want

Antonyms

STRONG

abundance

Usage

What are other ways to say destitution? Destitution, a somewhat literary word, implies a state of having absolutely none of the necessities of life: widespread destitution in countries at war. Poverty denotes serious lack of the means for proper existence: living in a state of extreme poverty. Indigence denotes a severely impoverished condition that is without any of life’s comforts: reduced to a life of indigence.

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.

After years of insurgencies, residents in eastern Congo are accustomed to food shortages, inflation and destitution.

From The Wall Street Journal

The policy was reversed, with the British Red Cross saying it had led to "devastating levels of destitution".

From BBC

"If we violate the ban, we face prison. If we comply, we face destitution," one unnamed farmer in Helmand province told BBC Pashto this summer.

From BBC

The UN-backed body said more than half a million people across Gaza were facing "catastrophic" conditions characterised by "starvation, destitution and death".

From BBC

Launching the first legal challenge against the deal in the High Court in London, his lawyers argued that there was a "real risk of destitution" if he was deported to France.

From BBC

destitution

Usage

Example Sentences

Related Words