beggary

noun

beg·​gary ˈbe-gə-rē How to pronounce beggary (audio)
Synonyms of beggarynext
1
: poverty, penury
2
: the class of beggars
3
: the practice of begging

Synonyms

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Examples of beggary in a Sentence

too many people are homeless and living in shameful beggary in this country
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hence his need to construct an elaborate scheme of beggary that seems to have involved the bills being paid initially by the Cabinet office, then by the Conservative Party, then by a private donor, and finally, and only after the whole affair became a political embarrassment, by Johnson himself. —Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 13 May 2021

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beggary was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

beggarweed
beggary
Beggiatoa
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Cite this Entry

“Beggary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beggary. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

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Kids Definition

beggary

noun
beg·​gary ˈbeg-(ə-)rē How to pronounce beggary (audio)
: extreme poverty
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