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• poor white
  poor white

  noun

  a member of a class of white people, especially of the southern U.S., having low social status and little or no money, property, or education.
• poor White
  poor White

  noun

poor white

American  

noun

Usually Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a member of a class of white people, especially of the southern U.S., having low social status and little or no money, property, or education.

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poor White British  

noun

1. offensive

   1. a poverty-stricken and underprivileged White person, esp in the southern US and South Africa

   2. ( as modifier )

      poor White trash

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Etymology

Origin of poor white

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

Organizer Ross Morales Rocketto discussed how many working-class and poor white men found the GOP candidate’s restoring masculinity approach appealing.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

Unlike peers such as the Shirelles and the Crystals, the Shangri-Las weren’t Black: They were poor white teens from New York City, occasionally singing with pronounced Queens accents and always performing with a stylish swagger.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2024

He wrote the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy,” which touches on the abandonment of poor white people — even though he has a law degree from Yale and worked as a venture capitalist.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2022

"We cannot say that this is because of individual choices or behaviors. Something deeper is at work—systems that prey on the poor, poor white people, and poor people of color."

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2022

And it wasn’t just Durham’s poor white neighborhoods that supported him.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson