banqueroute

bankruptcy

noun bahn-kuh-ROOT Rare

Origin: Italian banca rotta, broken bench (money-changers' bench)

Usage Note

Banqueroute specifically implies fraudulent or culpable bankruptcy, making it more serious than faillite (general insolvency). Faire banqueroute means 'to go bankrupt' (with a sense of wrongdoing). In modern legal French, banqueroute is a criminal offence, while faillite is a civil procedure.

Examples

"L'entreprise a fait banqueroute après le scandale."

Natural Translation

The company went bankrupt after the scandal.

Literal Translation

The company made bankruptcy after the scandal.

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