destitute Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite poor enough to need help from others
    poverty-stricken; needy; necessitous; impoverished; indigent.
  2. adjective satellite completely wanting or lacking
    barren; devoid; innocent; free.
    • writing barren of insight
    • young recruits destitute of experience
    • innocent of literary merit
    • the sentence was devoid of meaning

WordNet

Des"ti*tute adjective
Etymology
L. destitutus, p. p. of destituere to set away, leave alone, forsake; de + statuere to set. See Statute.
Definitions
  1. Forsaken; not having in possession (something necessary, or desirable); deficient; lacking; devoid; -- often followed by of.
    In thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Ps. cxli. 8.
    Totally destitute of all shadow of influence. Burke.
  2. Not possessing the necessaries of life; in a condition of want; needy; without possessions or resources; very poor.
    They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Heb. xi. 37.
Des"ti*tute transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To leave destitute; to forsake; to abandon. Obs.
    To forsake or destitute a plantation. Bacon.
  2. To make destitute; to cause to be in want; to deprive; -- followed by of. Obs.
    Destituted of all honor and livings. Holinshed.
  3. To disappoint. Obs.
    When his expectation is destituted. Fotherby.

Webster 1913