Poverty means not having enough money or resources to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. When a family lives in poverty, they might struggle to pay for groceries, keep their home warm in winter, or afford medical care when someone gets sick.

Poverty means lacking the essentials that most people need to live safely and healthily. A child experiencing poverty might go to bed hungry, wear worn-out shoes with holes, or live in a home without reliable heat or plumbing. The condition affects not just bank accounts but daily survival: whether you can eat enough, stay warm, or get help when you're sick.

Throughout history, poverty has affected millions of people. In the 1930s during the Great Depression, even families who had been comfortable suddenly faced poverty when banks failed and jobs disappeared. Today, organizations and communities work to reduce poverty through food banks, job training programs, and other forms of assistance.

The word can describe individual circumstances or whole regions. We might say a family lives in poverty or that certain countries struggle with widespread poverty.