bankruptcy

noun

bank·​rupt·​cy ˈbaŋk-(ˌ)rəp(t)-sē How to pronounce bankruptcy (audio)
plural bankruptcies
Synonyms of bankruptcynext
1
: the quality or state of being bankrupt
2
: utter failure or impoverishment

Synonyms of bankruptcy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bankruptcy in a Sentence

The company is facing bankruptcy. The company was forced into bankruptcy. The number of bankruptcies was especially high last year. Critics view the decision as an example of moral bankruptcy on the part of the administration.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Picture This Wedding posted their bankruptcy announcement on their website in early October. — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 Under legalization, frequent bettors also reduce investments by over 50 percent, while bankruptcies jump by 10 percent. — Josh Appel, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026 In 2020, the Small Business Reorganization Act (SBRA) introduced Subchapter V of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. — Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Luminar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2025, nearly seven years after Evans left. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bankruptcy

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bankruptcy was circa 1634

Phrases Containing bankruptcy

Browse Nearby Words

bankrupt
bankruptcy
bankrupt worm
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bankruptcy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bankruptcy. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bankruptcy

noun
bank·​rupt·​cy ˈbaŋ-(ˌ)krəp-(t)sē How to pronounce bankruptcy (audio)
plural bankruptcies
: the condition of being bankrupt

Legal Definition

bankruptcy

noun
bank·​rupt·​cy ˈbaŋ-ˌkrəp-sē How to pronounce bankruptcy (audio)
plural bankruptcies
1
: the quality or state of a bankrupt
filed for bankruptcy
2
: the administration of an insolvent debtor's property by the court for the benefit of the debtor's creditors
the debt was discharged in bankruptcy
bankruptcy proceedings
see also adequate protection, Bankruptcy Code compare insolvency, receivership

Note: Bankruptcy protects the debtor from debt collection by creditors. A debtor may file for bankruptcy, which is called “voluntary bankruptcy,” or a creditor may petition the court to declare the debtor bankrupt, which is called “involuntary bankruptcy.” Involuntary bankruptcy is allowed only under chapter 7 or chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. There are four types of relief available to individuals or corporations under the Bankruptcy Code: liquidation (chapter 7), reorganization (chapter 11), debt adjustment for a family farmer or fisherman (chapter 12), and debt adjustment for an individual with a regular income (chapter 13). Municipalities may file for bankruptcy under chapter 9. The court determines which debts are to be repaid according to their priority, and the debtor is typically granted a discharge from unpaid debts that are dischargeable under the Bankruptcy Code.

More from Merriam-Webster on bankruptcy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bankruptcy

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All