Poverty
/ˈpɑvərti/
nounB2
Definition
Poverty means living without enough money or resources to meet basic needs such as food, clean water, shelter, and clothing. It often causes difficulties in health, education, and daily life. People in poverty may struggle to improve their situation because they lack important support or opportunities.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
The condition of being very poor
- •Many people live in poverty and struggle to find jobs.
- •Poverty can cause children to miss school because they need to work.
- •Governments try to reduce poverty by helping poor families.
Lack of something important (used less often)
- •Poverty of ideas means having very few good ideas.
- •The poem shows a poverty of hope in difficult times.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "poverty" like "poor" (A1 word), but it means a long-term situation of not having enough money or things to live well
- ✓Picture an empty wallet and a small, simple home without many things inside
- ✓It's the feeling of worry when you cannot buy enough food or pay for a safe place to live
- ✓Sounds like "POV-er-tee" → imagine someone saying "No money to buy" in a sad voice
- ✓Think of stories or movies where families have very little money and face many problems because of it
- ✓NOT like "rich" (having a lot of money), poverty means the opposite, having very little
- ✓NOT like "need" (which can be small or temporary), poverty is a serious, ongoing lack of resources
- ✓NOT like "unhappy" (an emotion), poverty is about real material lack, though it can cause unhappiness
Try Other Words
- •Destitution: extreme poverty with no money or resources (Use when describing the worst, most serious poverty)
- •Hardship: difficulty in life, not always about money (Use when focusing on general struggles, not only lack of money)
- •Impoverishment: becoming poor or the state of being poor (Use in formal or academic contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "poverty" comes from "pover" (old form of poor) + "-ty" (a suffix that turns an adjective into a noun showing a state or condition)
- •Etymology: From Old French "povreté," from Latin "paupertās," meaning the state of being poor
- •Historical development: Used since Middle Ages to describe lack of wealth or resources
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to talk about social and economic problems affecting people and countries today
Reflect & Connect
•How does poverty affect people’s daily choices and opportunities in life?
•Can poverty be only about money, or does it include other types of lack? How?
Fill in the blanks
1.Many families live in poverty because they do not have ___ to buy food or clothes.
2.Poverty often causes children to miss school or ___ work to help their families.
3.Unlike temporary problems, poverty is a long-term ___ of money and basic needs.
4.When a country has high poverty rates, it usually means many people ___ a good job.
5.The government created programs to help reduce poverty and improve ___ for poor people.
6.Poverty is different from being unhappy because it is about ___ things, not just feelings.
7.Sometimes, poverty can cause a ___ of hope or ideas, making life feel very hard.