Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
- deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often followed by of): destitute of children.
verb (used with object), des·ti·tut·ed, des·ti·tut·ing.
- to leave destitute.
adjective
- lacking the means of subsistence; totally impoverished
- (postpositive foll by of) completely lacking; deprived or bereft (of)destitute of words
- obsolete abandoned or deserted
late 14c., “abandoned, forsaken,” from Latin destitutus “abandoned,” past participle of destituere “forsake,” from de- “away” + statuere “put, place,” causative of stare “to stand,” from PIE root *sta- “to stand” (see stet). Originally literal; sense of “lacking resources, impoverished” is 1530s.