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
Insurgency fueled by ‘extreme poverty’ Mozambique – where more than half the population lives under the poverty line and the average age is 17 – had been particularly dependent on USAID.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Almost 18% of Joplin residents live below the poverty line.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 19 Nov. 2025
While many other countries are grappling with an aging workforce and declining birth rates, these challenges are especially acute for North Korea, where roughly 60 percent of the population is believed to live below the poverty line and social safety nets have collapsed.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
Households at or below 130% of the poverty line generally qualify for assistance, with a large number of recipients being elderly, disabled or children.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the poverty line
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Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Almost 18% of Joplin residents live below the poverty line.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 19 Nov. 2025
While many other countries are grappling with an aging workforce and declining birth rates, these challenges are especially acute for North Korea, where roughly 60 percent of the population is believed to live below the poverty line and social safety nets have collapsed.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
Households at or below 130% of the poverty line generally qualify for assistance, with a large number of recipients being elderly, disabled or children.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 13 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 27 Nov. 2025.
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