English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced Book with Answers and Enhanced eBook Vocabulary Reference and Practice 3rd Edition

39.1
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English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
The haves and the have-nots
40
Definitions of poverty
United Nations definition: ‘
Fundamentally
1
, poverty is a 
denial
2
of choices and opportunities, a 
violation
3
of human 
dignity
4
…’
1
in a basic and important way
2
not allowing people to have
3
act that spoils or destroys something
4
worth
type and aspect 
of poverty
definition
comments
absolute poverty
being poor according to a fixed 
minimum standard; sometimes 
called the 
poverty line
In 2015, people with less than $1.90 to live on a day 
were defined as being 
below the poverty line. This 
sum does, of course, regularly change.
relative poverty
being poor in relation to others 
around you
This kind of poverty depends on a person’s 
social 
context
1
. It takes into account that there is no 
income equality between countries.
extreme poverty
living below the poverty line
People living in extreme poverty will be lacking in 
material possessions and money. Another word for 
extreme poverty is 
penury. 
human poverty
being poor in a range of ways, 
not only financial
This kind of poverty takes into account such social 
factors as 
shelter
2
, 
nutrition
3
(people living in 
poverty are more likely to be 
malnourished
4
),