Choose the Right Synonym for poverty

poverty, indigence, penury, want, destitution mean the state of one with insufficient resources. poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts. the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances. the indigence of her years as a graduate student penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money. a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure. lived in a perpetual state of want the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

Examples of poverty in a Sentence

He was born in poverty. There is a poverty of information about the disease.

Recent Examples on the Web The impressive architecture of the inner city sheltered immense wealth, while there was desperate poverty in the working-class districts beyond. — Jonathan Bate, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2022 Someone Somewhere is all about helping people overcome poverty and creating a wave of change. — Katarina Avendano, Good Housekeeping, 25 Aug. 2022 A quarter of women around the country are facing period poverty. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2022 According to a Harvard study, commuting time is the strongest factor in escaping poverty. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022 The program was established to provide economic and social benefits for residents of western Alaska, alleviating poverty in what often are Indigenous communities. — Laura Reiley, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2022 The program was established to provide economic and social benefits for residents of western Alaska, alleviating poverty in what often are Indigenous communities. — Laura Reiley, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2022 Aside from an exceptional music career, Hagar also escaped the poverty of his youth to become an extremely successful businessman, establishing the Cabo Wabo brand of tequila and several Sammy’s Beach Bar franchises. — Alessandro Corona, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2022 UnidosUS was founded in 1968 in Phoenix as the Southwest Council of La Raza to battle discrimination, reduce poverty and improve opportunities for Latinos. — Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poverty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.