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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.

Failure to do so would "open the door for crippling liability and undermine the interest of farmers who depend on federally registered pesticides for their livelihood," he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Some who rely on fishing for their livelihood are hoping this year might mark the start of a long path toward regaining what they’ve lost.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

"I hate it," says David McQueen, retired Vietnam veteran who depends on social security for his livelihood.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Yet from that point on, he proved to be remarkably adaptable, maintaining his livelihood as a painter through religious and political turmoil aplenty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

At first I wondered why they would give away their food and livelihood, but then I realized: There weren’t enough people left to eat it.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Vocabulary lists containing livelihood

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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift

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