poverty
Americannoun
-
the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor.
-
deficiency of necessary or desirable ingredients, qualities, etc..
poverty of the soil.
- Synonyms:
- insufficiency
-
scantiness; insufficiency.
Their efforts to stamp out disease were hampered by a poverty of medical supplies.
- Synonyms:
- dearth, paucity, shortage, inadequacy
- Antonyms:
- sufficiency, surfeit, abundance, glut, excess
noun
-
the condition of being without adequate food, money, etc
-
scarcity or dearth
a poverty of wit
-
a lack of elements conducive to fertility in land or soil
Usage
What are other ways to say poverty? Poverty refers to the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support. How does this noun compare to synonyms destitution and indigence? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Etymology
Origin of poverty
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English poverte, from Old French, from Latin paupertāt- (stem of paupertās ) “small means, moderate circumstances.”; see pauper, -ty 2
Explanation
Families who live in poverty have a hard time getting enough food to eat. "The loss of jobs in the area led to increased poverty." "The poverty rate is the percent of people who live in poverty in a geographic area." In the US, the government pays careful attention to how many citizens are living above and below the poverty level, which is defined by a certain maximum level of income. Poverty can also mean the lack of an important quality besides having enough money to live comfortably. For the last five years, David's sister has given him a pair of socks for his birthday. David believes this reflects the poverty of her imagination.
Vocabulary lists containing poverty
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act V
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This one’s about the proximity of wealth to poverty; even a power agent skimps on tipping the delivery guy because he’s got no cash on hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The Abu Obeid family, Palestinian refugees from Gaza, live in poverty.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
In any case, the overall increase in incomes drove the poverty rate to an historic low of 10.2%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Again from Mother Jones: “Jackson is more than 80 percent Black and has a poverty rate that is more than double the national average.”
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
When James Abram Garfield ran for political office, his supporters told voters that he had been born in a log cabin and worked his way from poverty to admirable achievements.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
