the poverty line
noun/ðə ˈpɒvəti laɪn/
/ðə ˈpɑːvərti laɪn/
(also the poverty level especially in US English)
[singular]- the official level of income that is necessary to be able to buy the basic things you need such as food and clothes and to pay for somewhere to live
- below the poverty line A third of the population is living below the poverty line.
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the poverty line