indigent
adjective
in·di·gent
ˈin-di-jənt 
1
: suffering from extreme poverty : impoverished
2
a
archaic
: deficient
b
archaic
: totally lacking in something specified
indigent
noun
Synonyms
Examples of indigent in a Sentence
… every day, I fled the house and drove aimlessly over mountain roads that passed by indigent farms and strange, unpainted churches.
—
Mark Singer, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2000 & 1 Jan. 2001
A land post was offered him in November, 1765, as Governor of Greenwich Hospital, a shelter for disabled and indigent seamen and a place affording many openings for jobbery (the contemporary term for bureaucratic graft).
—Barbara W. Tuchman, The First Salute, 1988
He went around climbing dark stairs and knocking on doors and taking flash photos of indigent families in their dwellings.
—E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
Because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him.
The clinic provides free care for indigent patients.
Mark Singer, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2000 & 1 Jan. 2001
A land post was offered him in November, 1765, as Governor of Greenwich Hospital, a shelter for disabled and indigent seamen and a place affording many openings for jobbery (the contemporary term for bureaucratic graft).
—Barbara W. Tuchman, The First Salute, 1988
He went around climbing dark stairs and knocking on doors and taking flash photos of indigent families in their dwellings.
—E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
Because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him.
The clinic provides free care for indigent patients.
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, police abuses persist, and public funding for legal aid to indigent people is insufficient to meet the need.
—Ogar Monday, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2024
He was declared indigent at the hearing, so a public defender, Shane Ethridge, was appointed to represent him.
—Steven Mross, arkansasonline.com, 7 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for indigent 
Ogar Monday, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2024
He was declared indigent at the hearing, so a public defender, Shane Ethridge, was appointed to represent him.
—Steven Mross, arkansasonline.com, 7 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for indigent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indigent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near indigent
Cite this Entry
“Indigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigent. Accessed 30 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
indigent
adjective
in·di·gent
ˈin-di-jənt
Legal Definition
indigent
adjective
in·di·gent
ˈin-də-jənt
: suffering from indigence
the indigent defendant was provided with counsel
indigent
noun
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