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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