poverty

English Online Dictionary. What means poverty‎? What does poverty mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English poverte, from Old French poverté (Modern French pauvreté), from Latin paupertās, from pauper (“poor”) + -tas (“noun of state suffix”). Cognates include pauper, poor.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒvəti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑːvɚti/

Noun

poverty (usually uncountable, plural poverties)

1. The quality or state of being poor; lack of money

   get into poverty

   get out of poverty

   escape from poverty
2. A deficiency of something needed or desired

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:poverty

Antonyms

• See also Thesaurus:wealth

Derived terms

Related terms

• impoverish
• poor
• poorness

Translations

See also

• aporophobia

References

• “poverty”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.