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
The think tank’s report defined the upper middle class as a family of three earning $133k to $400k in 2024 dollars—five to 15 times the federal poverty line.
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Sam Klebanov, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Those students come from families who are within 200% of the federal poverty line, which is a total income of $66,000 for a family of four.
—April 5, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The largest share of applicants, 37%, had a household income of less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty line, which is $64,300 for a family of four, according to 2025 federal guidelines.
—Lina Ruiz
april 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026
Council leadership announced that an expansion of the city’s Fair Fares program — which, in its current iteration, gives half-off transit fares to any New Yorker making less than 150% the federal poverty line — will be among the body’s main goals in 2026.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
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Sam Klebanov, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026
Those students come from families who are within 200% of the federal poverty line, which is a total income of $66,000 for a family of four.
—April 5, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
The largest share of applicants, 37%, had a household income of less than or equal to 200% of the federal poverty line, which is $64,300 for a family of four, according to 2025 federal guidelines.
—Lina Ruiz
april 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026
Council leadership announced that an expansion of the city’s Fair Fares program — which, in its current iteration, gives half-off transit fares to any New Yorker making less than 150% the federal poverty line — will be among the body’s main goals in 2026.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 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 13 Apr. 2026.
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