Extremely poor and lacking the basic necessities of life; completely without resources or means of support. It describes the most severe form of poverty where one lacks food, shelter, or clothing.
From Latin 'destitutus,' past participle of 'destituere' meaning 'to abandon, forsake' (de- 'away' + statuere 'to place, set up'). The word suggests being abandoned or left without support.
Destitute sounds like 'de-substitute' - when you have no substitutes or alternatives left! It's more extreme than just 'poor' - it means having absolutely nothing, not even the basics.
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