Meanings
nounprimary poverty (uncountable)
- uncountableThe condition of living below the poverty line, having insufficient income to meet one's basic needs.
People living in primary poverty cannot obtain even the basic necessities of life (food, shelter and clothing) no matter how well they organise and manage their budgets.
2003, Rosemary Rees, Britain, 1890-1939
Origin
A categorization created by Seebohm Rowntree.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
primary poverty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primary%20poverty
MLA
“primary poverty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primary%20poverty. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “primary poverty,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primary%20poverty.
Source: primary poverty on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.