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.
Living a healthy life is easy in theory but hard in practice.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Pure Living was founded in 2019 as pro-democracy protests engulfed Hong Kong.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Living in Giverny, she shot 40 hours of video and used only 90 minutes for Part 1 and Part 2.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Living below one’s means and avoiding lifestyle creep allows me to access more of what I call my numinous self.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
So feel I. Living in the Congo shakes open the prison house of my disposition and lets all the wicked hoodoo Adahs run forth.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
