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poverty

Pronunciation: /ˈpɒvəti/
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Definition of poverty

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1the state of being extremely poor:thousands of families are living in abject poverty
  • the renunciation of the right to individual ownership of property as part of a religious vow.
  • 2the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount:the poverty of her imagination

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French poverte, from Latin paupertas, from pauper 'poor'

poverty in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of poverty in the US English dictionary

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