Wiktionary

indigence

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English indigence, late 14th century, from Old French indigence (13th century), from Latin indigentia, from indigentem, form of indigēre (“to need”), from indu (“in, within”) egēre (“be in need, want”).[1]

Only relation to antonym affluence is common Latinate suffix ‎ -ence.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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indigence (countable and uncountable, plural indigences)

  1. Extreme poverty or destitution.
    Synonym: indigency
    Antonym: affluence
    • 2001, Salman Rushdie, Fury: A Novel, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 4:
      On Professor Solanka’s street, well-heeled white youths lounged in baggy garments on roseate stoops, stylishly simulating indigence while they waited for the billionairedom that would surely be along sometime soon.
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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “indigence”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French indigence, from Latin indigentia.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɛ̃.di.ʒɑ̃s/
  • Hyphenation: in‧di‧gence

Noun

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indigence f (plural indigences)

  1. indigence

Further reading

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Old French

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Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Latin indigentia.

Noun

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indigence oblique singular, f (oblique plural indigences, nominative singular indigence, nominative plural indigences)

  1. indigence (poverty; lacking)

Descendants

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  • English: indigence
  • French: indigence

References

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  • Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (indigence, supplement)
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