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
Dan Walters describes working for the Sacramento Bee several decades ago as “like living in Sweden.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Bad management played a part in not fulfilling his potential, but he admits "living for other people's dreams and ambitions."
From BBC ● 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
In the air force he had done some training in living off the land—it was something they all had to do, in case they got shot down.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
