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.
At that time, he was living in Exeter, having split up from his wife.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
Henry stops showing up at work, but his creations keep playing their games, living their lives and wondering if Henry has abandoned them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
“I would think of my profile as sort of a really cute living room/open garden. And people could come in and have a little cafecito, or a little tea and listen to poetry,” Martínez said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
The ONS said that around three in 10 households in the UK were made up of a person living alone in 2025.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
A church group invited me to speak to a hundred families living in an abandoned factory building.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
