Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Experiencing want or need; impoverished.
  • adjective Archaic Lacking or deficient.
  • noun A poor or destitute person.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Wanting; lacking: followed by of.
  • Lacking means of comfortable subsistence or support; wanting necessary resources; needy; poor.
  • Synonyms Destitute, necessitous, reduced.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Wanting; void; free; destitute; -- used with of.
  • adjective Destitute of property or means of comfortable subsistence; needy; poor; in want; necessitous.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Poor; destitute; in need.
  • noun A person in need, or in poverty.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective poor enough to need help from others

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin indigēns, indigent-, present participle of indigēre, to need : indu-, in; see en in Indo-European roots + egēre, to lack.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Circa 1400, Middle French, from Latin indigentem, form of indigere ("to need"), from indu ("in, within") + egere ("be in need, want").

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Examples

  • He, to hear my mother's name made a byword and reproach, myself alluded to as the indigent daughter of an outcast, -- he, who seemed already lifted as high above me on the eagle wings of fortune, as the eyry of the king-bird is above the nest of the swallow, -- it was more than I could bear.

    Ernest Linwood or, The Inner Life of the Author Caroline Lee Hentz 1828

  • Bruce Harris says, "The word indigent and veteran should never go together."

    Latest Articles CBS4 2008

  • This creep claims he is "indigent" -- but can afford at least $200,000 to get out of jail???

    KWTX - HomePage - Headlines 2009

  • In March, Mayor Bloomberg issued an executive order that would require defense lawyers for so-called indigent defendants to be selected by a competitive bidding process.

    Regional Watch 2010

  • Also called indigent drug programs, charitable drug programs, or medication assistance programs, PAPs are set up by drug companies, and you can find one relevant to you by searching the Web, or via online directories like RxAssist.

    Breaking the piggy bank for Rx drugs? Apply for patient assistance 2009

  • Also called indigent drug programs, charitable drug programs, or medication assistance programs, PAPs are set up by drug companies, and you can find one relevant to you by searching the Web, or via online directories like RxAssist.

    Breaking the piggy bank for Rx drugs? Apply for patient assistance 2009

  • The next to be loved is the stranger, the orphan, the widow and the indigent, that is to say those citizens that are without a “defender”.

    Archive 2008-10-26 papabear 2008

  • The next to be loved is the stranger, the orphan, the widow and the indigent, that is to say those citizens that are without a “defender”.

    Zenit: Benedict XVI's Homily at Close of Synod papabear 2008

  • Provision of healthcare for the indigent is a major responsibility of the County government.

    Let’s Not Discuss Dick Cheney’s Weight 2006

  • The lack of a uniform approach to identifying and addressing the needs of the indigent was a key factor which continued to limit the delivery of basic services.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 2004

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