pro-poverty
|pro-pov-er-ty|
🇺🇸
/proʊˈpɑːvərti/
🇬🇧
/prəʊˈpɒvəti/
favoring poverty
Etymology
'pro-poverty' originates from English, combining the prefix 'pro-' (from Latin 'pro', meaning 'for' or 'in favor of') and the noun 'poverty' (from Old French 'poverté' and Latin 'paupertās').
'poverty' entered English via Old French 'poverté' and Middle English 'poverti', ultimately from Latin 'paupertās'; the compound 'pro-poverty' is a modern English formation arising from the productive prefix 'pro-' and political/ideological discourse in the 20th–21st centuries.
Initially a literal combination meaning 'for poverty', the term has chiefly evolved into a critical label used to describe policies, attitudes, or rhetoric seen as endorsing, tolerating, or failing to prevent poverty.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
supporting, favoring, or advocating poverty; used to describe people, policies, or rhetoric that are seen as promoting, accepting, or failing to prevent poverty (often used pejoratively).
The activist accused the bill of being pro-poverty and demanded stronger safety-net measures.
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Adjective 2
describing rhetoric, stance, or policy perceived as tacitly accepting poverty as inevitable or preferable; often a critical label rather than a neutral description.
Opponents labeled the city's approach to social services as openly pro-poverty.
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Last updated: 2025/11/15 21:28