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Definition of breadline

breadline

/ˈbrɛd.laɪn/
bread · line
Plural:breadlines
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breadline Lexical Profile

breadline Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

British The subsistence level of income; the minimum financial threshold required to afford basic necessities.

Example

"Rising energy costs have pushed thousands of vulnerable families below the breadline this winter."

2

North American A queue of people waiting to receive free food distributed by a government agency or charitable organization.

Example

"During the Great Depression, photographs of unemployed workers standing in a breadline became enduring symbols of economic hardship."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for breadline

• Nearby Words

breading
breadknife
breadlike
breadline
breadmaker
breadmaking
breadnut

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in late 19th-century American English, originally referring to the long queues outside New York City's Fleischmann's Vienna Model Bakery, where unsold bread was distributed nightly to the poor.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Breadline. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/breadline
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