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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.
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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, -ty2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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