- 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.
Jeremy Clarkson has announced he is in remission from prostate cancer, days after he shared he was living with the disease.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
Then, in 1894, the Kellogg brothers — also advocates of vegetarianism, exercise, abstinence from meat and alcohol, and other principles of that “clean living movement” — accidentally developed Corn Flakes.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 21, 2026
And don’t forget about the anonymous emails identifying parents not living at the official address they put on their transfer paperwork.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026
This proactive approach will broaden and improve the span of normal and meaningful living.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
We clean up the breakfast dishes, vacuum the living room, and do three loads of laundry, all without saying a word.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
