1
: a person destitute of means except such as are derived from charity
specifically
: one who receives aid from funds designated for the poor
paupers on welfare
2
: a very poor person
Examples of pauper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The mother of one of those men, Jonathan Hankins, confronted Grisham-Stewart in February at the county's pauper's field.
—
Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
In many cases, the spoils of war have turned former paupers into extremely wealthy individuals.
—Peter Salisbury, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2018
Greer is predominantly livid that her son is marrying a pauper—even the housekeeper sneers at the fruit basket Amelia’s parents bring—until a body washes up on the shore.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2024
The currency devaluation caused those imports — already expensive because of high tariffs — to explode in price.
Nigerians can become paupers almost overnight.
—Ismail Auwal Taiwo Aina, New York Times, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pauper 
Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 1 Oct. 2024
In many cases, the spoils of war have turned former paupers into extremely wealthy individuals.
—Peter Salisbury, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2018
Greer is predominantly livid that her son is marrying a pauper—even the housekeeper sneers at the fruit basket Amelia’s parents bring—until a body washes up on the shore.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2024
The currency devaluation caused those imports — already expensive because of high tariffs — to explode in price.
Nigerians can become paupers almost overnight.
—Ismail Auwal Taiwo Aina, New York Times, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pauper
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pauper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pauper
Cite this Entry
“Pauper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pauper. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pauper
noun
pau·per
ˈpȯ-pər 
: a very poor person
especially
: one supported by charity
pauperize
verb
-ˌrīz
Legal Definition
pauper
noun
pau·per
ˈpȯ-pər
: a person who is destitute and relying on charity
specifically
: a person who is relieved of the costs and expenses of a court proceeding because of poverty
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