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 These federal financial assistance programs are geared towards communities facing high levels of poverty or disabled populations. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2025 In Santa Clara County, roughly 7.8% of people live below the poverty level and a four-person household making $137,000 a year or less is considered low income. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025 Widespread unemployment and rampant inflation have led to a poverty rate of 90 percent. Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025 Each job created represents stability for a family, hope for a neighborhood, and a step toward breaking cycles of poverty and violence. Keith Howard, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for poverty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty
Noun
  • One of the few remaining positives in his life is upended before the pilot comes to a close, pushing poor Ted that much further into misery.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Human misery and environmental devastation proved the cost of turning coffee from a luxury good into a staple.
    Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This makes access easier to those who had relied on compounding pharmacies like Hims & Hers while there was a shortage of the drug.
    Paulina Likos, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2025
  • There's a regional shortage of crossing guards, leading to school safety concerns, but D.C. officials say there's another obstacle: mandatory drug tests, which 43% of applicants fail.
    Anna Spiegel, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • From high-end to affordable, watches have been a staple piece on many women’s wrists up until around the past two decades, when technology replaced the necessity and women's fashion seemed to leave timepieces behind.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Out of necessity, James Madison wrote, of some stable institution in the government.
    ABC NEWS, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Rubin: There was a surprising lack of campiness to this whole thing.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
  • That was quite the head scratcher given the extended absences of Lynch and Flair as well as the general lack of top women’s singles stars on both Raw and SmackDown.
    Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Africa need not be seen as a site of destitution and need.
    Nnimmo Bassey, Foreign Affairs, 17 Feb. 2022
  • Otherwise, Sacramento might be the one team on this list that isn’t too upset about middle-class life, not after the two decades of destitution preceding its 2023 ascent to the playoffs.
    John Hollinger, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Nutrient deficiencies: Not getting enough iron, zinc, biotin, and protein can negatively affect your hair.
    Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The former results from insulin deficiency, while the latter is caused by insulin resistance.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Scientists from the Department of Psychology at the University of York, United Kingdom, aimed to uncover how sleep deprivation leads to intrusive thoughts.
    Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Over the years, experts have found that differences in brain structure or function, genetic variations and mutations, and medical complications (e.g. extreme prematurity, oxygen deprivation at birth, and certain maternal health issues) all seem to play a role.
    Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • That, plus 13 turnovers, added up to a 64-47 halftime deficit for Brooklyn.
    C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2025
  • After city voters narrowly rejected Measure E, however, reality sank in — sort of — in the form of a $258 million deficit forecast for fiscal 2024-25.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Poverty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poverty. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

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