deserving poor
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English
[edit]Noun
[edit]deserving poor pl (plural only)
- (dated) Poor people who are incapable of providing for themselves and thus seen as legitimate recipients of charity.
- Antonym: undeserving poor
Usage notes
[edit]Used with the definite article the.
References
[edit]- “deserving poor”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.