# poverty

/ˈpɑvɝti/ (US) · /pˈɒvəti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/poverty
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. lack of money

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- Many families in the region are living in poverty and need help from the government.
- The charity's primary mission is to alleviate systemic poverty by providing vocational training and micro-loans to local entrepreneurs.

### 2. lack of quality or variety

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

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

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

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

## Examples

- Many families in the region live in extreme poverty.
- The government introduced new programs to help people escape poverty by providing better access to education and jobs.
- While the nation's overall wealth has increased, the persistent cycle of generational poverty remains a significant challenge for urban planners and social workers alike.

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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.