# the poor

grammar point · CEFR A2

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/the-poor
Updated: 2026-07-27

## Meaning

Poor 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…".

## Examples

- The government promised to help the poor.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.