- present participle of live.
living
Usage
What are other ways to say living?
Living and livelihood (a somewhat more formal word), both refer to what one earns to keep (oneself) alive, but are seldom interchangeable within the same phrase: to earn one's living; to threaten one's livelihood. “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. “To make a livelihood out of something” suggests rather making a business of it: to make a livelihood out of knitting hats. 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.
When Griffin decided to jump into the video talk show arena, she initially thought she’d need a whole shiny studio before shooting the first episode in her living room.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
Now that they have been living in a higher-rate world for a few years, an increase won’t be as painful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
On Sept. 9, deputies got a tip that a couple was living with a newborn baby under an Interstate 5 overpass, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Themba Kekana is also living in shock at the death of a loved one.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Gertie Hornbostel’s life at the Santo Tomas internment camp has become a living nightmare.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
