impoverished

adjective

im·​pov·​er·​ished im-ˈpä-v(ə-)risht How to pronounce impoverished (audio)
1
: reduced to poverty : poor
an impoverished family/community
2
: exhausted of richness or fertility
impoverished soils
3
of a fauna or flora : represented by few species or individuals

Examples of impoverished in a Sentence

the widespread hope that the lottery's record-setting jackpot is won by an impoverished family an impoverished field that over the years had been overgrazed
Recent Examples on the Web
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Criminal justice scholars say that when scores based on immutable facts are weighted so heavily in parole decisions, prisoners from impoverished, racially segregated communities are more likely to be hurt. Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 10 Apr. 2025 The once-vacant lot across the street from her childhood playground on Washington Avenue is now home to Wilcox Academy, an early learning center that represents a powerful investment in a historically impoverished community. Raymond Pierce, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025 The impoverished community is accessible only by a dirt road that winds through the mountains. Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025 Selling a Dream Recruiters fan out across East Africa, from impoverished hilltop villages to the cinder block neighborhoods of Nairobi and Kampala, the Ugandan capital. Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impoverished

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impoverished was in 1611

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Cite this Entry

“Impoverished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impoverished. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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