destitution

CEFRB2

/dɛstɪˈtuːʃən/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A state of extreme poverty without basic needs.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Discharge from office; dismissal.

Examples

  • We fight to pull ourselves out of destitution.

  • I lived my childhood in destitution.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /dɛstɪˈtjuːʃən/
  • /dɛstɪˈtʃuːʃən/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The condition of lacking something.

  2. The action of deserting or abandoning.

  3. An extreme state of poverty, in which a person is almost completely lacking in resources or means of support.

More examples

In context

  • Destitution forces many asylum seekers to end up working for extremely low wages in catering, cleaning and construction, for example, without any protection against unscrupulous employers.

  • He requires of his fellow man obedience to a very creditable code of morals, but he observes without shame or disapproval his God's utter destitution of morals.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The charity works to rescue people from a life of blank, providing food and shelter.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Old French destitution, from Latin dēstitūtiō (“abandoning”), from dēstituō.