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subsistence

[suhb-sis-tuhns] / səbˈsɪs təns /


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.

Nearly half of India's population also continues to rely on agriculture for subsistence.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond described his childhood subsistence on food stamps, free school lunches and surplus government cheese.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

"The recent expansion in employment reflects economic distress leading to subsistence work, rather than growth-driven better quality job creation," they say.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

In the South, entire families worked long hours for subsistence wages in company-owned villages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

Everywhere, rulers and elites sprang up, living off the peasants’ surplus food and leaving them with only a bare subsistence.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari




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