penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money.
a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury
want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure.
lived in a perpetual state of want
the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine
Examples of poverty in a Sentence
He was born in poverty.
There is a poverty of information about the disease.
Recent Examples on the WebBut Charlotte’s choice leads to a life of poverty; eighteen years later, her daughter, Corinna, also gives birth to a girl.—The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024 In 2021, the child poverty rate dropped by nearly half compared with the year before, from 9.7% down to 5.2% — a historic low.—Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024 For women, acquiring technology skills can be transformative, offering pathways out of poverty and toward financial independence.—Bree Carriglio, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024 Overcomer members are expected to commit to a vow of poverty and donate their assets to the church, yet Carn says Mack seemed comfortably padded with cash.—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for poverty
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poverty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English poverte, from Anglo-French poverté, from Latin paupertat-, paupertas, from pauper poor — more at poor
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