have-nots

IPA/hævz/
IPA/hævz/

have-nots — noun

1. members of a society who lack money and material goods, in contrast to those who

1.nounB2
Definition

members of a society who lack money and material goods, in contrast to those who are better off.

Example

Jiwoo argued that the new tax plan would make life harder for the have-nots.

always 'the have-nots', plural

Gita's research examined how rising housing prices push the have-nots out of city neighbourhoods.

contrast: the haves and the have-nots

Common collocations
  • the haves and the have-nots
  • gap between the haves and the have-nots
  • divide between the haves and the have-nots
  • the have-nots of society
Synonyms
  • the poor

    more general term; can refer to poor people in any context, while 'the have-nots' is more specific to economic inequality

  • the disadvantaged

    broader in scope — covers lack of education, healthcare, or social status, not just money

  • the underprivileged

    slightly more formal; emphasises lack of basic rights and advantages rather than just income

Antonyms
  • the haves

    the direct opposite; used in the same paired expression 'the haves and the have-nots'

  • the rich

    more general opposite; not limited to the 'haves and have-nots' contrast pattern

  • the wealthy

    emphasises great personal fortune; more formal than 'the rich'

Grammar Patterns

the have-nots

Usage Note

Always used in the plural with the definite article 'the'. Commonly contrasted with 'the haves' in discussions about economic inequality.

Common Mistakes

The government should help have-nots.
The government should help the have-nots.
'the have-nots' always needs the definite article 'the'.
He is a have-not.
He is one of the have-nots.
'have-nots' is only used in the plural.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

"The poor" is the most general and widely used term, covering anyone with little money. "The disadvantaged" has a broader scope — it includes people who lack access to education, healthcare, or social opportunities, not just low income. "The underprivileged" is slightly more formal and focuses on the absence of basic rights and advantages rather than cash alone. "The have-nots" is the most specific: it almost always appears in a paired contrast with "the haves" and carries the flavour of societal division. For example, a news report might say "the gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen," while a social worker might describe "helping the disadvantaged" across multiple dimensions.

the poor ↗the disadvantagedthe underprivileged

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the haves and the have-nots
  • gap between the haves and the have-nots

Phrases

  • the haves and the have-nots
  • a nation of have-nots

Prepositions

  • among the have-nots

Etymology

English

The expression 'the haves and the have-nots' originated in 19th-century English, formed by turning the verbs 'have' and 'have not' into plural nouns. It was popularised in political and economic writing to describe the division between the wealthy and the poor. The shortened form 'the have-nots' emerged from that paired expression.

First known use

1836

1836, in the meaning defined above