c. 1400, "abandoned, forsaken," from Latin destitutus "abandoned," past participle of destituere "forsake," from de "away" (see de-) + statuere "put, place," causative of stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." Originally literal; of persons, "forlorn, hopeless," 1510s; sense of "lacking resources, without means, impoverished, indigent" is by 1530s. As a noun, "severely impoverished persons collectively," 1737.
