What does "poverty" mean?

1. (lack of money) the state of being poor and not having enough money for basic things like food, clothes, or a home. 2. (lack of quality or variety) a lack of something important, such as ideas, quality, or variety.

How do you use "poverty"?

Often followed by the preposition 'of'.

poverty

US //ˈpɑvɝti// UK //pˈɒvəti// pover·ty

1 lack of money (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the state of being poor and not having enough money for basic things like food, clothes, or a home.

the state of being extremely poor, typically involving a lack of financial resources to meet basic needs. Uncountable in this general sense.

Example

Many families in the region are living in poverty and need help from the government.

Example

The charity's primary mission is to alleviate systemic poverty by providing vocational training and micro-loans to local entrepreneurs.
- penury
- destitution
- hardship
2 lack of quality or variety (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Formal

a lack of something important, such as ideas, quality, or variety.

a deficiency or dearth of a particular quality or ingredient. Often used in academic or critical contexts.

Example

The critic complained about the poverty of imagination in the new movie.

Example

The soil's poverty of nutrients made it nearly impossible for the farmers to yield a successful crop without expensive fertilizers.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'of'.
- abundance
- richness

Origin

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.