Words / C1

in-SOLV-uh-nt/ɪnˈsɒlvənt/

Insolvent means unable to pay debts; bankrupt in effect: declared insolvent, an insolvent contractor. Bankrupt (already in the dictionary) is the close legal twin; a smiling stall is not a credit check.

Meaning

Unable to pay debts; bankrupt in effect.

Examples

• “An insolvent contractor is a named risk; a smiling stall is not a credit check.”
• “Bankrupt is already in this course. Broke is informal. A stall is a photograph. A Companies House filing is a file. Name the risk; keep the smile for the prospectus.”

Good to know

Unable to pay what is owed. Close: bankrupt (already in the dictionary). A stall photo ≠ a credit check.

Near in meaning

bankrupt, broke, failed

New