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
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
In its original 2024 application for the plants, Entergy referenced Richland Parish’s low income levels—one in four residents lives below the poverty line—as a reason to authorize the plan.
—Roshan Abraham, Wired News, 22 Sep. 2025
About 20% of the city’s population lives below the poverty line, compared with 12% overall in the state, according to Census Bureau data.
—Jason Kane, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the poverty line
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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
In its original 2024 application for the plants, Entergy referenced Richland Parish’s low income levels—one in four residents lives below the poverty line—as a reason to authorize the plan.
—Roshan Abraham, Wired News, 22 Sep. 2025
About 20% of the city’s population lives below the poverty line, compared with 12% overall in the state, according to Census Bureau data.
—Jason Kane, NBC news, 15 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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