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
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
The federal government set the 2025 poverty line at $32,150 per year for a family of four.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
The federal poverty line is updated every year, and varies depending on the size of the household.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Leah Millis | Reuters Households earning more than 400% of the federal poverty line — about $62,600 for a single person or $128,600 for a family of four — weren't previously eligible for any assistance.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025
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.
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
The federal government set the 2025 poverty line at $32,150 per year for a family of four.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
The federal poverty line is updated every year, and varies depending on the size of the household.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Leah Millis | Reuters Households earning more than 400% of the federal poverty line — about $62,600 for a single person or $128,600 for a family of four — weren't previously eligible for any assistance.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025
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 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share