Lewis & Short

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paupertas, ātis, f. [pauper], poverty, small means, moderate circumstances (opp. as well to egestas, inopia, penuria, as to abundantia and luxuria, v. Doed. Syn. 3, pp. 111 and 118; class.)

  1. I. Lit.: pecuniaque erat parva; ab eo paupertas dicta, Varr. ap. Non. 43, 33: non video quid aliud sit paupertas quam parvi possessio, Sen. Ep. 87, 34; cf.: non est paupertas, Nestor, habere nihil, Mart. 11, 32, 8: paupertas est non quae pauca possidet, sed quae multa non possidet, Sen. Ep. 87, 35; cf. Scaev. Dig. 36, 1, 78, § 12: paupertatem eri tolerare, Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 13: paupertatem vel potius egestatem ac mendicitatem ferre, Cic. Par. 6, 1, 45; id. Tusc. 3, 23, 56: de paupertate agitur: multi patientes pauperes commemorantur, id. ib. 3, 24, 57; cf.: homines . . . patientiā paupertatis ornati, id. Agr. 2, 24, 64: me mea paupertas vitae traducat inerti, Tib. 1, 1, 3 (5): casta, Sil. 1, 609:-paupertatem inopiā mutare, Val. Max. 4, 8, 2: videbantur illis temporibus in magnā paupertate satis idoneae istae pecuniae poenae esse, Gai. Inst. 3, 223.
          1. (β) Plur.: potes animo advertere et horum temporum divitias et illorum paupertates, Varr. ap. Non. 162, 20 (nove positum numero plurali, Non.): ex multis paupertatibus divitiae flunt, Sen. Ep. 87, 36.
    1. B. Transf., for egestas, inopia, need, want, indigence, Cic. Fin. 5, 28, 84: cum propter paupertatem sues puer pasceret, id. Div. 1, 17, 31: infelix, Juv. 3, 152.
  2. II. Trop., poverty of language (post-Aug.): paupertate sermonis laboramus, Quint. 8, 3, 33; 12, 10, 34; 2, 1, 4.