Definition
In a situation of extreme poverty; relying on food donations or having only enough to survive.
In Context
- "She wasn't on the breadline exactly, but she didn't have an awful lot of spare cash to throw around, and she always, always lived within her means."
- "This life continuously trapped on the breadline was not what I wanted, not forever."
- "He was wearing a grubby white shirt, jeans and scuffed black slip-on shoes. Anyone would think he was on the breadline too."
- "With capital of about £16,000 I wasn't exactly on the breadline."
- "There were times where money was tight and we probably were on the breadline, but I still never really wanted for anything."
- "Britain survived on the breadline."
- "It is ridiculous to put our own people on the breadline by reducing their spending power by an enormous sum to save very much less in overseas funds."
- "The alternative argument states that, for people living on the breadline where every penny counts, the loss of a job may be the last straw factor."