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
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.
Senate Bill 124 would require some nonprofit hospitals to spend 95% of the proceeds from a federal drug discount program to reduce health care costs for patients earning no more than four times the federal poverty line, or $62,600 for one person. The Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2025 For the first two years, only kindergartners, public school transfer students and families earning up to 400% of the family poverty line (about $120,000 for a family of four) can apply for $7,800 annually to reimburse their tuition and education costs. Linh Ta, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025 Americans can usually qualify for SNAP benefits if their income is under 130% of the federal poverty line. Tracy Roof, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, amid crises caused by conflict, climate change and economic downturns, the number of people living under the World Bank poverty line of $6.85 a day has remained unchanged since 1990 — that's nearly 44% of humanity. Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poverty line

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poverty line was in 1901

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Cite this Entry

“Poverty line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty%20line. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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