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.
His challenge is finding a way to maximize the revenue boost from the oil price rise while cushioning the impact on the poorest people in a nation where around 60% of the population live below the World Bank’s poverty line. Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026 Recent legislative efforts to update the federal poverty line have failed. Data Reporter, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026 With a population of approximately 9,600, 19% of families in the neighborhood lived below the federal poverty line, 39% of residents identified as Black, and 27% identified as Hispanic. Beverly Kingston, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026 According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Texas has about 888,000 extremely low-income renter households who are either at or below the federal poverty line or 30% of their area’s median income. Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Poverty line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty%20line. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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