Standard Lemma guide

pauperism

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being a pauper; poverty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a state of extreme poverty or destitution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • their indigence appalled him
  • a general state of need exists among the homeless

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indigence, need, penury, pauperization

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: poverty, poorness, impoverishment

Narrower terms: beggary, mendicancy, mendicity

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English pauper Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English pauperism From pauper + -ism.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: бедност (bednost) — poverty
  • Bulgarian: сиромашия (siromašija) — poverty
  • French: paupérisme — poverty
  • Galician: pauperismo — poverty
  • German: Pauperismus — poverty
  • Romanian: pauperism — poverty
  • Swedish: fattigdom — poverty
  • Telugu: పేదరికము (pēdarikamu) — poverty
  • Ukrainian: паупери́зм (pauperýzm) — poverty
  • Ukrainian: павпери́зм (pavperýzm) — poverty