Word
bankruptcy
Phoneticsbank·rupt·cy, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbæŋkɹəpsi/
UK/bˈæŋkɹʌptsi/
Definitions
01financial insolvency
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law Technical
n. the legal state of a person or company that cannot pay the money they owe.
n. the legally declared state of being unable to meet financial obligations or pay debts. Often used with the verbs 'file for' or 'declare'.
“The small airline was forced to file for bankruptcy after fuel prices doubled.”
“After months of restructuring negotiations failed, the corporation finally declared bankruptcy to protect its remaining assets from creditors.”
Usage
Commonly follows the verbs 'file for', 'declare', or 'avoid'.
Pitfall
The company went to bankruptcy last year.
The company went bankrupt last year.
Use the adjective 'bankrupt' after the verb 'go'. Use the noun 'bankruptcy' with 'file for' or 'declare'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02lack of a quality
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. a complete lack of something good or useful, such as ideas or morals.
n. a total lack or exhaustion of a particular non-material resource or quality. Often used in the phrase 'moral bankruptcy'.
“The critic argued that the new film showed a total bankruptcy of original ideas.”
“The scandal revealed a profound moral bankruptcy at the heart of the administration, leading to widespread calls for resignation.”
Usage
Usually followed by 'of' and an abstract noun like 'ideas', 'imagination', or 'morals'.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“I am a business school professor who has researched bankruptcies and whether, when you are at the end of your financial rope, bankruptcy helps or hurts.” “Lack of funding pushed many colleges into bankruptcy and closing.” Etymology
From bankrupt + -cy, replacing earlier bankruptship.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
01. moral bankruptcy
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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