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
Children who had survived starvation ultimately completed fewer years of education, had a lower chance of attending college, and were twenty per cent more likely to fall below the poverty line.
—
Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Away from the bustling tourist centers, a large proportion of the population lives below the poverty line.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
This group includes many people close to the poverty line in states that didn’t expand their Medicaid program.
—Margot Sanger-Katz, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The ad also invokes legislation supported by Earle-Sears that would have created a tax credit toward homeschooling or sending children to a private school for families making 200 percent under the poverty line.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the poverty line
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Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Away from the bustling tourist centers, a large proportion of the population lives below the poverty line.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
This group includes many people close to the poverty line in states that didn’t expand their Medicaid program.
—Margot Sanger-Katz, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The ad also invokes legislation supported by Earle-Sears that would have created a tax credit toward homeschooling or sending children to a private school for families making 200 percent under the poverty line.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 22 Sep. 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 21 Oct. 2025.
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