poverty

[ pov-er-tee ]

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

poverty

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of poverty¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English poverte, from Old French, from Latin paupertāt- (stem of paupertās ) “small means, moderate circumstances.”; pauper, -ty ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of poverty¹

C12: from Old French poverté, from Latin paupertās restricted means, from pauper poor

Example Sentences

“We can not solve the housing crisis by driving construction workers into poverty,” carpenter Nicolas Reyes told committee members.

From Los Angeles Times

Project 2025’s Medicaid chapter falsely states that the ACA “mandates that states must expand their Medicaid eligibility standards” to include all individuals with income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mississippi, despite extremely high poverty, has one of the nation’s lowest rates of homelessness.

From Los Angeles Times

A cabinet minister has said restricting winter fuel payments does not "sit easily" with him, after estimates it would increase poverty among pensioners.

From BBC

Tina Leslie, the founder of Freedom 4 Girls - a period poverty charity - said it was unfair to penalise girls for something they could not prevent.

From BBC

Related Words

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

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.