Penniless
/ˈpɛ.nɪ.ləs/ adj
adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Lacking even the smallest amount of money. figuratively, not-comparable
"In societies without national insurance of any kind, almshouses are the last refuge of penniless people."
- 2 Of a country's system of money, abstaining from the use of penny coins, despite having fully decimalized currency, by means of rounding of cash transactions (but not necessarily of cashless ones). not-comparable
"Canada became a penniless country in 2013 simply by rounding its cash transactions to the nearest nickel but otherwise not changing anything."
Adjective
- 1 not having enough money to pay for necessities wordnet
Example
More examples"For one thing, I'm penniless; for another, I don't have the time."
Etymology
From Middle English penyles, penylees; equivalent to penny + -less. Compare Old Norse penningalauss (“penniless”).