poverty level

noun

1. poverty line.

poverty level

1. A level of income above which it is possible to achieve an adequate standard of living and below which it is not. It fluctuates with the cost of living.

Because the poverty level is somewhat artificially established by the government, it can be manipulated for political ends. As with hidden unemployment, governments are often accused of establishing a poverty level that underestimates the number of poor people.

Other Word Forms

• poverty-level adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of poverty level¹

First recorded in 1975–80