adj
indigent
IHN-dihd-zhuhnt
adj
1
Very poor; lacking the basic resources needed to live.
"The clinic offers free care to indigent patients."
noun
1
A person who is very poor.
"The shelter provides meals for the indigent."
How to Use Indigent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishExtremely poor, without the means to meet basic needs.
When to use it
A formal word, common in legal, medical, and administrative contexts rather than everyday speech.
Common pairings
indigent defendant
the indigent poor
Word Forms
more indigent comparative, indigents plural, most indigent superlative
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Etymology
From Old French indigent, from Latin indigens, "needing," from indigere ("to need, lack").