pobreza
nounCEFR B2
What does “pobreza” mean in English?
poverty — the state of being extremely poor; the condition of lacking basic resources
poverty — the state of being extremely poor; the condition of lacking basic resources (umbral de pobreza; pobreza energética)
Example sentences
La pobreza energética afecta a millones de hogares europeos que no pueden costear la calefacción en invierno.
Energy poverty affects millions of European households that cannot afford heating in winter.
La erradicación de la pobreza extrema es el primer Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible de la ONU.
Eradicating extreme poverty is the first UN Sustainable Development Goal.
El umbral de pobreza relativa se sitúa en el 60% de la renta mediana nacional.
The relative poverty threshold is set at 60% of the national median income.
How to use it
La pobreza (noun, feminine) means 'poverty' — the state of lacking sufficient money, resources, or basic necessities. Key collocations: umbral/línea de pobreza (poverty line); pobreza extrema/relativa; pobreza energética (energy poverty); luchar contra la pobreza; riesgo de pobreza y exclusión social. Distinguish from miseria (destitution — more extreme), precariedad (precarity — vulnerable, unstable), and desigualdad (inequality). Pobreza energética is a critical B2 modern term.
Common mistake
Pobreza (poverty) ≠ miseria (destitution — more extreme). Pobreza energética is a key 21st-century compound — do not say *pobreza de energía. Umbral de pobreza = poverty line/threshold. 'Poverty-stricken' = en situación de pobreza or sumido en la pobreza. 'To alleviate poverty' = aliviar/combatir la pobreza.