Destitution - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Destitution refers to extreme poverty, where a person lacks basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing. It implies severe hardship and an inability to meet essential needs for survival.
Definition:
Extreme poverty leading to lack of basic necessities like food and shelter.
Synonyms:
impoverishment, penury, privation, neediness
Part of Speech:
noun
Antonyms:
wealth, affluence, prosperity
Common Collocations:
extreme destitution, live in destitution, reduce to destitution, widespread destitution
Derivatives:
destitute (adj.), destituteness (n.)
Usage Tips:
Use "destitution" to describe severe poverty; avoid for temporary or minor financial struggles.
Common Phrases:
reduced to destitution, brink of destitution, depths of destitution
Etymology:
From Latin "destitutio," meaning abandonment or forsaking, derived from "destituere" (to forsake).
Examples:
- 1. The war left many families in utter destitution.
- 2. Charities work to alleviate destitution in impoverished regions.
- 3. His reckless spending led him to near destitution.
- 4. She wrote about the destitution she witnessed in the slums.