mendicity
/men'disiti/
Definition
Noun: - The state or condition of being a beggar; the practice of begging for a living. It refers to the status of relying on asking for money or help from others as a primary means of subsistence.
Usage
The word "mendicity" is a formal and somewhat archaic term. It is used to describe the general condition or practice of begging, often in a societal or legal context, rather than describing a single act of begging. - The new law aimed to reduce mendicity in the city's streets. - Historical records show that periods of famine led to widespread mendicity.
Examples
- The economic depression forced many into a life of mendicity.
- Charitable organizations in the 19th century sought to address the root causes of mendicity, not just its symptoms.
- Mendicity was a visible social problem in the pre-industrial era.
Advanced Usage
- Legal/Historical Context: The term is often found in historical, sociological, or legal texts discussing poverty and social welfare.
- The "Mendicity Society" was a 19th-century institution that investigated and tried to manage the problem of begging.
Variants and Related Words
- Mendicant (noun/adjective): A person who lives by begging; relating to or characteristic of a beggar.
- The mendicant friar took a vow of poverty.
- Mendicancy (noun): A direct synonym for "mendicity," meaning the state of being a mendicant or the practice of begging.
- They were reduced to mendicancy after losing their farm.
Synonyms
- Beggary
- Panhandling (more modern/informal, specifically for asking for money in public)
- Cadging (informal)
Antonyms
- Affluence
- Self-sufficiency
- Independence
Noun
-
the state of being a beggar or mendicant
-
they were reduced to mendicancy
-
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