Definitions

livelihood

[lahyv-lee-hood] / ˈlaɪv liˌhʊd /

NOUN

occupation

Synonyms

STRONGEST

employment income living subsistence sustenance

STRONG

alimentation art business circumstances craft game grind job keep maintenance means profession racket resources slot support thing trade vocation work

WEAK

bread and butter nine-to-five rat race source of income what one is into

Antonyms

STRONG

avocation entertainment fun pastime recreation unemployment

Usage

What are other ways to say livelihood? Livelihood and the less formal word living, both refer to what one earns to keep (oneself) alive, but are seldom interchangeable within the same phrase: to threaten one's livelihood; to earn one's living. “To make a livelihood out of something” suggests making a business of it: to make a livelihood out of knitting hats. “To make a living” suggests making just enough to keep alive, and is particularly frequent in the negative: You cannot make a living out of that. Maintenance refers usually to what is spent for the living of another: to provide for the maintenance of someone. Maintenance occasionally refers to the allowance itself provided for livelihood: They are entitled to a maintenance from this estate.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However they are still making the AI-designed pieces, "because it's their livelihood".

From Barron's

Winter Olympians have made livelihoods out of braving the conditions that most of us loathe.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bryan Simpson, hospitality lead for Unite, said the union had been "inundated" with messages from staff worried about their livelihoods since the news emerged.

From BBC

“Family agriculture is in crisis, and American farmers and ranchers are fighting for their livelihoods,” says National Farmers Union President Rob Larew.

From The Wall Street Journal

Going forward, geologists, engineers and economists will be needed, especially as Greenland's traditional livelihoods of hunting and fishing are expected to gradually die out as professions.

From Barron's

livelihood

Usage

Example Sentences

Related Words