Synonym Chooser

How is the word poverty distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of poverty are destitution, indigence, penury, and want. While all these words mean "the state of one with insufficient resources," poverty may cover a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts.

the extreme poverty of the slum dwellers

Where would indigence be a reasonable alternative to poverty?

Although the words indigence and poverty have much in common, indigence implies seriously straitened circumstances.

the indigence of her years as a graduate student

When would penury be a good substitute for poverty?

The words penury and poverty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, penury suggests a cramping or oppressive lack of money.

a catastrophic illness that condemned them to years of penury

How do want and destitution relate to one another, in the sense of poverty?

Both want and destitution imply extreme poverty that threatens life itself through starvation or exposure.

lived in a perpetual state of want
the widespread destitution in countries beset by famine

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of poverty Families eligible under federal poverty guidelines must apply to the program to receive the benefits. Chad De Guzman, Time, 17 Apr. 2025 In Martinique and Guadeloupe, in contrast, where more than 80% of the population is of African descent, the poverty rates are 38% and 46%, respectively. Marlene L. Daut, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025 Berisha said the Rama government’s mismanagement of resources and failure to mitigate poverty had forced the emigration of 45% of Albanians. Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025 Breaking Generational Poverty Cycles Head Start and Early Head Start programs are pivotal in disrupting cycles of generational poverty. Rachelle Rutherford, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poverty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty
Noun
  • For civilians, the unrelenting misery of the last 18 months has just got a lot worse – especially as no aid has entered Gaza for six weeks.
    Tim Lister and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Life was good, especially after the last three seasons of misery, when games at this time of year were meaningless aside from their impact on the draft lottery.
    Arpon Basu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The fortunate news, again, is that a widespread shortage is not expected.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
  • In the short term, the PC market risks huge price increases along with component shortages if the 145% tariff on Chinese imports persists.
    Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Most teachers were volunteers, and the learning communities often farmed to cover basic necessities.
    Johanna K. Taylor, The Conversation, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The addition of hearing protection to this list of necessities recognizes that sensory wellbeing requires the same thoughtful preparation.
    Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • His quickness getting across the crease, his evident athleticism, more than made up for any lack of experience.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • But, sadly, because bathrooms are such high-moisture rooms with a lack of ventilation, mold is easy to grow.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Between 1820 and 1845, the number of weavers plummeted from two hundred and forty thousand to sixty thousand, as many faced destitution.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Can this power be guided with care, augmenting the light alongside economic destitution?
    John Werner, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • That deficiency intensified now that Brown is heading to Jacksonville on a one-year deal, according to a team source.
    Ben Standig, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • According to a 2023 study, 35% of adults in the US are suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, and that can lead to a number of issues (poor immune system, risk of certain cancers, and liver and kidney disease, to name just a few).
    Audrey Noble, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Midway through the film, an I.E.D. explodes just outside the apartment building, and the sequence that follows, in which the survivors gradually regain consciousness, is a tour de force of sensory deprivation and temporal dislocation.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
  • While some hardship builds character, suffering extreme deprivation does not guarantee success.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Tigers easily overcame the deficit against Royals ace Cole Ragans in a 7-3 victory at Comerica Park.
    Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The House tax-writing committee is instructed to add no more than $4.5 trillion to the deficit, while the Senate tax-writing committee is instructed to add no more than $1.5 trillion.
    Aris Folley, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Poverty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poverty. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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