poverty line
noun
: a level of personal or family income below which one is classified as poor according to governmental standards
called also poverty level
Examples of poverty line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2023, one in four New York City children lived at or below the federal poverty line, according to the Center for N.Y.C. Affairs report.
—
Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
That’s roughly 300% above the federal poverty line – not poor, but on the edge of middle class for a two-person household.
—Dan Horn, The Courier-Journal, 2 Dec. 2024
Electricity bills The Climate Election: Your rising energy bills explained 01:34
Choosing between food and paying energy bills is a growing problem in the U.S., a problem known as energy poverty that impacts 5.2 million people who live above the federal poverty line.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024
Three out of four people in Mayotte live below the national poverty line.
—Reuters, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for poverty line 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
That’s roughly 300% above the federal poverty line – not poor, but on the edge of middle class for a two-person household.
—Dan Horn, The Courier-Journal, 2 Dec. 2024
Electricity bills The Climate Election: Your rising energy bills explained 01:34
Choosing between food and paying energy bills is a growing problem in the U.S., a problem known as energy poverty that impacts 5.2 million people who live above the federal poverty line.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024
Three out of four people in Mayotte live below the national poverty line.
—Reuters, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for poverty line
Dictionary Entries Near poverty line
Cite this Entry
“Poverty line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty%20line. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share