Definition

1. Noun:
   • An exile living on money sent from home: A person, typically from a wealthy family, who lives abroad (often in a British colony) and is financially supported by regular payments of money sent from their family in their home country. This term historically carried connotations of someone sent away due to being considered an embarrassment or a failure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old remittance man spent his days at the colonial club, living off the quarterly allowance from his family in England.
  • He was the classic remittance man, exiled to Canada after a scandal, dependent entirely on funds from home.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a historical or literary context to describe a specific social phenomenon of the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly within the British Empire.
• It implies a life of idleness or mild disgrace, sustained by distance and familial money.

Variants and Related Words

• Remittance: (n) A sum of money sent, especially by mail, in payment for goods or services or as a gift. This is the root word from which "remittance man" is derived.
• Expatriate: (n) A person who lives outside their native country. This is a more general and neutral term, whereas "remittance man" is more specific and often pejorative.

Synonyms

• Exile: A person who lives away from their native country, often from compulsion or necessity.
• Dependent abroad: A descriptive phrase highlighting the reliance on external support.

Notes on Meaning

• The term is almost exclusively masculine ("remittance ") and reflects the gender norms of its era.
• It specifically denotes someone whose exile is maintained by the regular sending of money ("remittance"), distinguishing them from other types of emigrants or exiles.

Noun

1. an exile living on money sent from home