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Destitute
Lacking the basic necessities of life; extremely poor.
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Imagine This
Institutes are big companies or organizations, usually owning a lot of assets (i.e., money). De_institute means the opposite, which is the lack of basic necessities of life.
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Sounds Like
DES-ti-toot
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Looks Like
destitute
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Remember This
Destitute is often used with 'of' (destitute of something) and refers to people or situations, not objects that are scarce by choice. The noun form is destitution.
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Other Forms
destitutionnoun
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Note
Destitute describes a state of severe poverty (not just temporary lack). The common noun is destitution. It is typically used of people or households, and can be followed by 'of' (destitute of food, shelter, etc.).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- After losing his job and savings, he became destitute and sought help from a charity.
- The destitute population crowded the city’s shelters and soup kitchens.
Synonyms
impoverishedindigentneedypoverty-strickenpenurious
Antonyms
wealthyprosperousaffluent
Etymology
From Latin destituere, de- 'away' + statuere 'to place, set' (to abandon or forsake). In English, it retained the sense of lacking the means of subsistence.
Mnemonic
DE+SIT+TUDE: Think of destitute as 'without a substitute' for life’s essentials; being destitute means you have no replacement for basic needs.
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Inflexible
adjectiveNot easily bent, altered, or persuaded; stubbornly unyielding in opinions or behavior.
Partisan
noun and adjectiveA strong, biased supporter of a party or cause; as an adjective, describing biased, one-sided allegiance to a party or faction.
Orderly
adjectiveNeatly arranged or organized; showing order and regularity in arrangement or behavior.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Indigence
nounExtreme poverty or destitution; the state of lacking the basic resources needed for living.
Penury
nounExtreme poverty; the state of lacking the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, and clothing.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
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