Pōv'er-ty, n.

n. [O. Fr. pover-te, povrete, poverteit, povretet, N. Fr. pauvreté, Pr. paubretat, paupretat, O. Sp. pobredad, It. povertà, Lat. paupertas, from pauper, poor, q. v.]

1Sense 1. Destitution of property; indigence; want of convenient means of subsistence; need.

The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty. Prov. xxiii. 21.

2Sense 2. Any deficiency of resources that are needed or desired; especially, a lack of sentiment or words; as, poverty of language, &c.

Synonyms—Indigence; penury; beggary; necessity; neediness; need; lack; want; scantiness; sparingness; meagerness; jejuneness.—POVERTY, INDIGENCE, PAUPERISM. Poverty is a relative term: what is poverty to a gentleman, would be competence for a day-laborer. Indigence implies extreme distress, and almost absolute destitution. Pauperism denotes entire dependence upon public charity, and is, therefore, a hopeless and degraded state.

Such madness, as for fear of death to die, Is to be poor for fear of poverty. Denham.

For even that indigence that brings me low, Makes me myself, and Him above, to know. Dryden.