# destitution

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɛstɪˈtuːʃən/ · frequency rank #57,336

## Definitions
1. The action of deserting or abandoning.
2. Discharge from office; dismissal.
3. The condition of lacking something.
4. An extreme state of poverty, in which a person is almost completely lacking in resources or means of support.

## Etymology
From Old French destitution, from Latin dēstitūtiō (“abandoning”), from dēstituō.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/destitution