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poverty
[ pov-er-tee ]
/ ˈpɒv ər ti /
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noun
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.
scantiness;insufficiency: Their efforts to stamp out disease were hampered by a poverty of medical supplies.
OTHER WORDS FOR poverty
2 thinness, poorness, insufficiency.
OPPOSITES FOR poverty
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Words nearby poverty
pout, pouter, poutine, pouty, POV, poverty, poverty level, poverty line, poverty-stricken, poverty trap, povidone-iodine
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
WHEN TO USE
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.
How to use poverty in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for poverty
poverty
/ (ˈpɒvətɪ) /
noun
the condition of being without adequate food, money, etc
scarcity or deartha poverty of wit
a lack of elements conducive to fertility in land or soil
Word Origin for poverty
C12: from Old French poverté, from Latin paupertās restricted means, from pauper poor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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