noun
abandoned people; people left to fend for themselves
Refers to people abandoned or left behind by their government or society, especially after war, disaster, or policy failure. Often carries a critical or tragic tone.
戦後、多くの棄民が故郷に戻れなかった。
After the war, many abandoned people could not return to their hometowns.
その政策は、被災者を棄民にするものだと批判された。
The policy was criticized for turning disaster victims into abandoned people.
Compound of 棄 (abandon) and 民 (people). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it likely emerged in modern Japanese to describe populations abandoned by the state.