The government promised to help the poor.
the poor
grammar pointPoor people considered as a group. English uses "the" + an adjective to name a whole class of people, so "the poor" means people who have little money. It always takes a plural verb: "The poor are…".
The charity hands out warm meals to the poor every evening during the winter months.
Reforms that claim to lift up the poor often reach the middle class first, leaving the people they were named for waiting at the back of the queue.
Last updated July 27, 2026