pauper

noun

pau·​per ˈpȯ-pər 

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

pauperism

ˈpȯ-pə-ˌri-zəm 

noun

Examples of pauper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The age-old philosophy, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper was adhered to, meaning dinner was the lightest meal, as the digestive tract slows down towards the end of the day. —Yasemen Kaner-White, theweek, 25 Oct. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin, poor — more at poor

First Known Use

1516, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pauper

noun

pau·​per ˈpȯ-pər 

: a very poor person

especially : one supported by charity

pauperism

-pə-ˌriz-əm 

noun

pauperize

-ˌrīz

verb

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