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.
Prestatyn and Llandudno on the north Wales coast were in the top five with 82% and 70% respectively of their populations "living at risk", the research found.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
Previous discoveries at the site, including stone and bone artifacts, had already shown that the people living there carried out a wide range of activities with considerable skill.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2026
Nearly all of Gaza’s two million residents are living in the Hamas-controlled areas, where humanitarian conditions continue to be difficult.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Portuguese authorities said the brothers had been living with their mother in Colmar, in eastern France, while their father had limited and supervised visitation rights.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
Each house was divided into two side-by-side units with two different families living in them.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
