Definition of Absolute Poverty
(noun) A type of poverty that is the same regardless of location and that occurs when the resources required for minimum physical health are lacking, typically defined by limited access to food, clothing, and shelter.
Absolute Poverty Pronunciation
Syllabification: ab·so·lute pov·er·ty
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /Ab-suh-loot pAHv-uhr-tee/
- British English – /Ab-suh-loot pOv-uh-tee/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈæbsəˌlut ˈpɑvərti/
- British English – /ˈæbsəluːt ˈpɒvəti/
Usage Notes
- Plural: absolute poverties
- Absolute poverty is contrasted to relative poverty. Absolute poverty is an objective measurement, and relative poverty is a subjective assessment.
- Also called:
- extreme poverty
- primary poverty
- extreme poverty
Related Video
Additional Information
- Word origin of “absolute” and “poverty” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Cheal, David J. 1996. New Poverty: Families in Postmodern Society. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
- Jargowsky, Paul A. 1997. Poverty and Place: Ghettos, Barrios, and the American City. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
- Lowe, Gary R., and P. Nelson Reid. 1999. The Professionalization of Poverty: Social Work and the Poor in the Twentieth Century. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.
- Raphael, Jody. 2004. Listening to Olivia: Violence, Poverty, and Prostitution. Boston: Northeastern University Press.
- Raphael, Jody. 2000. Saving Bernice: Battered Women, Welfare, and Poverty. Boston: Northeastern University Press.
- Sachs, Jonathan. 2005. The End of Poverty: How We can Make it End in our Lifetime. London: Penguin.
- Segalman, Ralph, and Asoke Basu. 1981. Poverty in America: The Welfare Dilemma. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
- Tanner, Michael. 1996. The End of Welfare: Fighting Poverty in the Civil Society. Washington, D.C.: Cato Institute.
- Taylor, Brian K. 1987. Sociology, Poverty and Inequality. London: Roehampton Institute.
- United Nations. 1974. Attack on Absolute Poverty in Africa: The Role of the United Nations Development Advisory Teams (UNDATs). New York: Economic Commission for Africa, United Nations.
Related Terms
Works Consulted
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Cite the Definition of Absolute Poverty
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “absolute poverty.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved October 3, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/absolute-poverty/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
absolute poverty. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/absolute-poverty/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “absolute poverty.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed October 3, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/absolute-poverty/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“absolute poverty.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 3 Oct. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/absolute-poverty/>.