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des·ti·tute

(dĕstĭ-tt′, -tyt′)

adj.

1. Lacking resources or the means of subsistence; completely impoverished.

2. Utterly lacking; devoid: Young recruits destitute of any experience.

[Middle English, from Latin dēstitūtus, past participle of dēstituere, to abandon : dē-, de- + statuere, to set; see stā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

desti·tute′ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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