Impoverishment

im·pov·er·ish  (m-pvr-sh, -pvrsh)

tr.v. im·pov·er·ished, im·pov·er·ish·ing, im·pov·er·ish·es

1. To reduce to poverty; make poor.

2. To deprive of natural richness or strength: impoverish the soil by overuse. See Synonyms at deplete.

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[Middle English empoverishen, from Old French empovrir, empovriss- : en-, causative pref.; see en-¹ + povre, poor (from Latin pauper; see pauper).]

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im·pover·ish·ment n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	impoverishment - the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions poorness, poverty financial condition - the condition of (corporate or personal) finances deprivation, neediness, privation, want - a state of extreme poverty destitution - a state without friends or money or prospects indigence, pauperism, pauperization, penury, need - a state of extreme poverty or destitution; "their indigence appalled him"; "a general state of need exists among the homeless" impecuniousness, pennilessness, penuriousness - a state of lacking money
	2.	impoverishment - the act of making someone poor pauperisation, pauperization privation, deprivation - act of depriving someone of food or money or rights; "nutritional privation"; "deprivation of civil rights"