poverty line
noun
: a level of personal or family income below which one is classified as poor according to governmental standards
called also poverty level
Examples of poverty line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to the task force report, about 2,155 residents live in the predominantly Black neighborhood, where nearly half of households live below the federal poverty line.
—
Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Separately, Massachusetts had also previously established a pilot program offering state premium subsidies for people who earn up to 500% of the federal poverty line, according to Norris.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
At the beginning of last year, the eligibility threshold to qualify for representation by a public defender was raised to 250% of the federal poverty line.
—Josie Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026
And that’s actually more generous than Florida’s School Readiness qualifications were last year, when they were tied to the federal poverty line — $32,000 for a four-person household.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty line
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Separately, Massachusetts had also previously established a pilot program offering state premium subsidies for people who earn up to 500% of the federal poverty line, according to Norris.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
At the beginning of last year, the eligibility threshold to qualify for representation by a public defender was raised to 250% of the federal poverty line.
—Josie Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026
And that’s actually more generous than Florida’s School Readiness qualifications were last year, when they were tied to the federal poverty line — $32,000 for a four-person household.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty line
Cite this Entry
“Poverty line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty%20line. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
