as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
because he was indigent, the court appointed a lawyer to represent him
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pauper
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indigent
Emily Naiser, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
As it’s currently set up, San Diego County’s is the most restrictive medically-indigent program among California’s biggest counties.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indigent
Adjective
Without enough lawyers providing indigent defense, defendants sit in jail longer, plead without guidance and risk wrongful convictions.
—Emily Naiser, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
As it’s currently set up, San Diego County’s is the most restrictive medically-indigent program among California’s biggest counties.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
Lower than proletariat workers, the lumpenproletariat includes the indigent and the unemployable, those cast out of the workforce with no recourse, or those who can’t enter it in the first place, such as young workers in times of economic depression.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for indigent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indigent
Adjective
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Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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The redevelopment could begin unfolding as the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, the former Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, begins construction on a new $35 million headquarters in Clay Arsenal, two major projects for the long-impoverished neighborhood.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Titanic is still a subject of worldwide fascination, in part because of the range of passengers aboard the ship, from paupers to plutocrats.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
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The Titanic is still a subject of worldwide fascination, in part because of the range of passengers aboard the ship, from paupers to plutocrats.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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With fewer homes available for median earners, today's housing market is widening the gap between the haves and have-nots, with younger Americans less likely to buy a home, the study says.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
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Based on the video game from Bethesda Game Studios, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indigent. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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