What does "insolvent" mean?
Insolvent: (a) Not solvent; not having sufficient estate to pay one's debts; unable to pay one's debts as they fall due, in the ordinary course of trade and business; as, in insolvent debtor. (b) Not sufficient to pay all the debts of the owner; as, an insolvent estate. (c) Relating to persons unable to pay their debts. Insolvent law, or Act of insolvency, a law affording relief, -- subject to various modifications in different States, -- to insolvent debtors, upon their delivering up their property for the benefit of their creditors. See Bankrupt law, under Bankrupt, a.
Additional senses
- 2.One who is insolvent; as insolvent debtor; -- in England, before 1861, especially applied to persons not traders. Bouvier.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/answers/what-does-insolvent-mean
- Steward: Jason Burns
- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00