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.
This includes for the animals living in these "chemosynthetic" communities, whose numbers had been thought to have been drastically reduced by human whaling, she added.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Residents living in these areas are advised to stay indoors where possible — especially people with respiratory or heart disease, elderly individuals and children.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Jellyfish, worms and crustaceans are among the community of creatures living off the huge spread of carcasses.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Factoring in rent for a one-bedroom apartment and basic living expenses, the average cost of living for one senior is about $2,700 per month, the Senior Citizens League said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
“Pretty tough to be a Cat Person living here so close to Dog Street,” Max said, and I suspected that might be true for any number of people.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
