the poverty line
noun
: the level of income that makes it possible for a person to pay for basic food, clothing, and shelter
families living below/at the poverty line
Examples of the poverty line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those over 400% of the poverty line would lose access to premium tax credits entirely.
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Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025
Millions of people are struggling below the poverty line, seniors, women, and these people are invisible.
—Zeberiah Newman, IndieWire, 9 Dec. 2025
And even for families earning well above the poverty line, the cost of housing and childcare, especially in London, can be so high that there is simply no money to spend on anything else.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
Roughly 30 percent of the county lives in mobile homes — the vast majority of which rely on well water — and 40 percent live below the poverty line.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the poverty line
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Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025
Millions of people are struggling below the poverty line, seniors, women, and these people are invisible.
—Zeberiah Newman, IndieWire, 9 Dec. 2025
And even for families earning well above the poverty line, the cost of housing and childcare, especially in London, can be so high that there is simply no money to spend on anything else.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
Roughly 30 percent of the county lives in mobile homes — the vast majority of which rely on well water — and 40 percent live below the poverty line.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the poverty line
Cite this Entry
“The poverty line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20poverty%20line. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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