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.
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 And in a viral Substack post last month, Michael Green, chief strategist and portfolio manager for Simplify Asset Management, argued that the real poverty line should be around $140,000. Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poverty line

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poverty line was in 1887

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poverty line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty%20line. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!