Word of the Day

Sunday, April 29, 2007

indigence

\IN-dih-juhn(t)s\ , noun;

A state of extreme poverty or destitution.

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Quotes:

He is ever a handful of pocket change away from utter indigence.

-- Sven Birkerts, "The Socratic Method", New York Times, November 9, 1997

The lean and hungry, unkempt, and addled look I'd cultivated throughout my twenties was beginning to read like desperation and indigence as I stepped into my mid-thirties.

-- Stephen McCauley, The Man of the House

Origin:

Indigence comes from Latin indigentia, "neediness," from indigens, indigent- present participle of indigere to be in need of, from Latin indu (archaic form of in-), "in" + egere "to be needy, to need, to lack." The adjective form is indigent.