poverty

American  

[pov-er-tee] / ˈpɒv ər ti /

noun

1. the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor.

   Synonyms:

   penury, pauperism, indigence, destitution, neediness, privation

   Antonyms:

   affluence, wealth, riches

2. deficiency of necessary or desirable ingredients, qualities, etc..

   poverty of the soil.

   Synonyms:

   insufficiency

3. 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

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poverty British  

/ ˈpɒvətɪ /

noun

1. the condition of being without adequate food, money, etc

2. scarcity or dearth

   a poverty of wit

3. a lack of elements conducive to fertility in land or soil

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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.

Example Sentences

Planetary solidarity to address climate change, overpopulation, poverty and all the other common threats to the welfare of the world may be desirable, but is wildly improbable.

From MarketWatch • May 31, 2026

So far, the primary directive is to find someone who can focus on priorities such as higher pay, more stable jobs, reducing poverty and promoting racial equity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

For Caballero, he says the arts have provided an escape that he “needed in order to survive and not feel weighed down by American consumerism, by poverty and by feeling trapped.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

It said those living in poverty, or with special educational needs, are also more likely to be Neet.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

The true level of poverty among North Carolina whites during the 1960s was extreme: nearly half of the manufacturing jobs in the state were in textiles, one of the lowest-paid segments of the industry.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• bankruptcy
• debt
• deficit
• difficulty
• famine
• hardship
• lack
• scarcity
• shortage
• starvation
• underdevelopment