deserving poor
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.