indigent

adjective

in·di·gent ˈin-di-jənt

Synonyms of indigent

: suffering from extreme poverty : impoverished

archaic : deficient

archaic : totally lacking in something specified

indigent noun

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.

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.

She has since been declared indigent. — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2026 Lee was initially found indigent and unable to afford an attorney, so the court assigned the county’s conflicts panel to represent him. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026 Powell, who was indigent and could not afford an attorney, wrote his own motions to the court six times in the ensuing years, trying multiple routes to overturn his conviction or at least reduce his prison time. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 Declared indigent, he was represented by a series of Broward public defenders until the office asked to be removed from the case, citing a conflict of interest. — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for indigent

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French, from Latin indigent-, indigens, present participle of indigēre to need, from Old Latin indu + Latin egēre to need; perhaps akin to Old High German echerode poor

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of indigent was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Indigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigent. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

indigent

adjective

in·di·gent ˈin-di-jənt

: poor entry 1 sense 1, needy

Legal Definition

indigent

adjective

in·di·gent ˈin-də-jənt

: suffering from indigence

the indigent defendant was provided with counsel

indigent noun

indigent

adjective

Synonyms of indigent

Examples of indigent in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

Legal Definition

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