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undeserving poor

noun

old-fashioned
: poor people who are thought to have bad moral character and do not deserve to be helped

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undeserving
undeserving poor
undesignated
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Cite this Entry

“Undeserving poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undeserving%20poor. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

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