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Insolvent vs Penniless - What's the difference?

insolvent | penniless |

As adjectives the difference between insolvent and penniless

is that insolvent is unable to pay one's bills as they fall due while penniless is not having a penny; utterly impoverished; extremely poor.

As a noun insolvent

is one who is insolvent; an insolvent debtor.

insolvent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Unable to pay one's bills as they fall due.
    • an insolvent debtor
  • Owing more than one has in assets.
  • Not sufficient to pay all the debts of the owner.
    • an insolvent estate

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * solvent

    Derived terms

    * insolvency

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (legal) One who is insolvent; an insolvent debtor.
    • (Bouvier)

    Usage notes

    * In England, before 1861, especially applied to persons who were not traders. ----

    penniless

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Not having a penny; utterly impoverished; extremely poor.
  • * 1889 , (Horatio Alger), Driven From Home , ch. 10:
    • A dollar and a quarter seems a small sum, but if you are absolutely penniless it might as well be a thousand.
  • *, chapter=17
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless , she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.}}

    Synonyms

    * See also