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
Zambians, whose government defaulted on sovereign debt in 2020, are facing a similar challenge, with more than six in 10 residents living below the poverty line.
—
Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Why, as a former mayor of Tehran, demanded in his newspaper last week, do 40 million Iranians live below the poverty line while the state operates mega charitable foundations with billion-dollar budgets ostensibly to help the poor?
—Azadeh Moaveni, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The majority are in households that have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $33,000 for a family of four.
—Geoff Mulvihill, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Official figures already suggested that nearly 30 percent of Iranians lived below the poverty line.
—Davood Moradian, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
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Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Why, as a former mayor of Tehran, demanded in his newspaper last week, do 40 million Iranians live below the poverty line while the state operates mega charitable foundations with billion-dollar budgets ostensibly to help the poor?
—Azadeh Moaveni, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
The majority are in households that have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $33,000 for a family of four.
—Geoff Mulvihill, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Official figures already suggested that nearly 30 percent of Iranians lived below the poverty line.
—Davood Moradian, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
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 13 Feb. 2026.
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