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Definitions

livelihood

[lahyv-lee-hood] / ˈlaɪv liˌhʊd /


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.

See Examples For:

The animals’ success has delighted conservationists but frustrated some cattle ranchers, whose livelihood can become dinner for the endangered canids.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

And unlike many people whose vocal chords are their livelihood, Araujo says he has few ritualistic habits to protect his voice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

"Obviously this is my livelihood so without it I'm not able to eat and put clothes on my back, so it's very important to me," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Drolma’s livelihood depends on her ability to spot the best mushrooms at the auction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

It’s a world where a man’s reputation is at the center of his livelihood and self-worth.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

For Weber, that amounts to “treating peoples’ livelihoods as collateral damage.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The same tourism that supports local livelihoods could also threaten the darkness that makes Hanle unique.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

While it meant a lot that I was so concerned about people’s livelihoods, he said, we were doing the team a disservice by keeping a business going that wasn’t making a profit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

“For us trans people, social media has been a community of creators, part of our livelihoods, and a blessing,” she continued.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Much of it came from poorly paid state functionaries whose livelihoods depended on using police and administrative authority to extract cash from upstart capitalists.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden




Vocabulary lists containing livelihood


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