扶貧 (fú pín) literally means 'to support the poor' — 扶 (fú) means 'to assist, support, or help', and 贫 (pín) means 'poverty' or 'the poor'. Together, they form a formal, policy-oriented noun meaning 'poverty alleviation': the systematic effort to reduce or eliminate poverty through economic, educational, healthcare, and infrastructural support. It is widely used in government reports, news media, and development work across China.

The term emphasizes active, targeted assistance rather than general charity. It often appears in contexts involving rural revitalization, paired assistance programs (e.g., eastern provinces helping western ones), and poverty-stricken county designations. While historically central to China’s socioeconomic strategy, 扶贫 has evolved alongside broader goals like rural revitalization (乡村振兴), reflecting a shift from emergency relief to sustainable development.