insolvent

1 of 2

adjective

in·​sol·​vent (ˌ)in-ˈsäl-vənt How to pronounce insolvent (audio)
-ˈsȯl-
1
a
: unable to pay debts as they fall due in the usual course of business
b
: having liabilities in excess of a reasonable market value of assets held
2
: insufficient to pay all debts
an insolvent estate

insolvent

2 of 2

noun

plural insolvents
: an insolvent debtor : a person or entity that is unable to pay debts as they fall due
The country's newspapers regularly published legal notices that announced private assignments for the benefit of creditors, the attachments by creditors against the property of absconding debtors, and court-mandated auctions of assets owned by insolvents.Edward J. Balleisen

Examples of insolvent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Those losses, when combined with earlier write-offs because of higher interest rates, could make 482 banks with $1.4 trillion assets effectively insolvent. Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2024 Bankruptcy is often the only option for floundering companies with costly leases, as U.S. law enables insolvent firms to shed cumbersome contracts that are hard to cancel otherwise. Ethan M Steinberg, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2023 British phone manufacturer Bullitt Group reportedly shut down on Jan. 26 after reports swirled earlier this month that the company was insolvent. Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 31 Jan. 2024 The new financial obligations were intended to act as a safety net for taxpayers in the event oil and gas companies become insolvent and cannot pay to plug wells. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023 The Real Deal obtained a financial report revealing that without RSA’s help — in the form of $655,000 in cash infusions so far — the organization would likely have become insolvent. Curbed, 5 Dec. 2023 Still, other companies have gone insolvent due to the increasing cost of claims, leaving a market with fewer options for residents to choose from. Kelly Livingston, ABC News, 17 Nov. 2023 Among other things, Hill asked why deficiencies at the housing authority that were identified as part of a 2015 HUD review were never corrected, as well as how HUD will ensure continuity of service for residents of Hill's district in the event that the housing authority is financially insolvent. Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2023 Financial records show that the city’s property management agency is insolvent, despite holding thousands of properties, including some in the wealthiest sections of the city. John Eligon, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Noun
Unfortunately, this made the bank insolvent, and a bank run ensued. Zain Jaffer, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 In January, another one of DCG’s main subsidiaries, Genesis, declared its lending unit insolvent, and froze the assets of hundreds of thousands of customers. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 17 Aug. 2023 According to the latest report by Social Security's trustees, those surplus assets will be depleted and Social Security insolvent by 2033. Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 16 July 2023 By then, the Bank of England had declared SVB UK insolvent. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2023 That forced the bank to sell a chunk of its bonds at a steep loss, and the pace of those withdrawals accelerated as word spread, effectively rendering Silicon Valley Bank insolvent. Christopher Rugaber, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Mar. 2023 Actively betting that the spring meltdown would continue could well have left a bearish speculator insolvent, but the market’s behavior is actually pretty typical, if not rational, says Dr. Shilling. Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Marc Goldwein, a budget expert at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the jump could move up the date at which Social Security is projected to become an insolvent by as much as a year, to 2032. BostonGlobe.com, 14 Oct. 2021 In 1995, a rogue trader at Barings, Nick Leeson, lost over $1 billion, rendering the 300-year-old bank insolvent. Antoine Gara, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insolvent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1725, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of insolvent was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near insolvent

Cite this Entry

“Insolvent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insolvent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

insolvent

adjective
in·​sol·​vent (ˈ)in-ˈsäl-vənt How to pronounce insolvent (audio)
: not having or providing enough money to pay debts
an insolvent company

Legal Definition

insolvent

adjective
in·​sol·​vent in-ˈsäl-vənt How to pronounce insolvent (audio)
1
: having ceased paying or unable to pay debts as they fall due in the usual course of business compare bankrupt
2
: having liabilities in excess of a reasonable market value of assets held
3
: insufficient to pay all debts
an insolvent estate
insolvent noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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