What does poor mean?
Poor describes a lack of something important: money, material resources, opportunities, quality, performance, or luck. A person may be poor because they have little money, while a house can be poor in construction and a result can be poor because it falls short of expectations. The word can also describe an unfortunate circumstance, as in “a poor decision.” In everyday use, “poor people” identifies people who lack adequate financial resources, while “the poor” is a formal collective expression. Although “poor” can sometimes sound blunt, it is generally neutral in tone. Its usefulness lies in its ability to express deficiency across both economic and figurative contexts.
Having little money, resources, or opportunities; of low quality or inadequate; or involving misfortune.
"The school provides meals for children from poor families."
The financial sense is common, but “poor” also regularly means inadequate or of low quality, as in “a poor explanation.”
A person or people who have little money or few material resources.
"The charity supports the poor with food, shelter, and legal advice."
Usually collective and used with “the,” as in “the poor”; “people experiencing poverty” may be preferred when a more specific description is helpful.
The standard modern plural is “poor people”; “the poor” is a collective noun phrase. “Poors” is uncommon and generally unsuitable.
"Local organizations provide poor people with access to food and healthcare."
One word can describe a shortage of money, a shortage of quality, and a run of misfortune: poor names what is missing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does poor come from?
The word comes through Anglo-French from Latin pauper, meaning “poor” or “destitute,” and related to the broader Latin family associated with paucus, “few” or “little.” Medieval English adopted the word in the sense of being financially disadvantaged. Later English formed related words such as poverty and impoverished, which preserve the same root while extending it into abstract and verbal uses.
Related word forms
How poor is actually used
The adjective is widely used in both formal and informal contexts. As a noun, “the poor” is established but may sound more formal or categorical than “people experiencing poverty”; avoid treating poverty as a personal failing. In some contexts, “poor” can mean inadequate or of low quality rather than financially disadvantaged.
Easily confused with poor
Poor means lacking money, resources, quality, or advantages, while pure means free from contamination, impurities, or mixture.