Noun: impoverishment ,im'pó-vu-rish-munt
- The state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions
"Extreme impoverishment in the region led to widespread malnutrition";
- poverty, poorness, immiserisation [Brit], immiseration, immiserization
- The act of making someone poor
"The economic crisis led to the impoverishment of many middle-class families";
- pauperization, pauperisation [Brit]
Derived forms: impoverishments
Type of: deprivation, financial condition, privation
Antonym: wealth