poverty trap
noun
: a situation in which a person who is poor is unable to escape from poverty
especially, chiefly British
: a situation in which a poor person who gets a job will remain poor because the amount of money that person receives from the government will be reduced
Examples of poverty trap in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This new waiver reduces administrative hurdles and other issues for legitimate Medicaid expansion recipients while still achieving our policy goal: to have Medicaid serve as a safety net rather than a poverty trap.
—
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
In the case of poor, climate-vulnerable nations like Honduras, multibillion-dollar claims can worsen a poverty trap.
—Nicholas Kusnetz, WIRED, 28 Sep. 2024
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Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
In the case of poor, climate-vulnerable nations like Honduras, multibillion-dollar claims can worsen a poverty trap.
—Nicholas Kusnetz, WIRED, 28 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Poverty trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poverty%20trap. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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