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Showing results for livelihood. Search instead for livelihoods.
Definitions

livelihood

[lahyv-lee-hood] / ˈlaɪv liˌhʊd /
NOUN
occupation
Synonyms
STRONGEST
employment income living subsistence sustenance
STRONG
alimentation art business circumstances craft game grind job keep maintenance means profession racket resources slot support thing trade vocation work
WEAK
bread and butter nine-to-five rat race source of income what one is into
Antonyms
STRONG
avocation entertainment fun pastime recreation unemployment

Usage

What are other ways to say livelihood? Livelihood and the less formal word living, both refer to what one earns to keep (oneself) alive, but are seldom interchangeable within the same phrase: to threaten one's livelihood; to earn one's living. “To make a livelihood out of something” suggests making a business of it: to make a livelihood out of knitting hats. “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.  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.

Another major UN assessment, published on Tuesday as the summit opened, warned that migratory freshwater fish populations crucial to river health and sustaining the livelihoods of millions of people are in freefall and risk collapse.

From Barron's

It is underpinned by a system of economic incentives that make the regime’s collapse a direct threat to the livelihood of its acolytes.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The guidelines seek to promote sustainable use trade of wild species such as ants to generate jobs, wealth and community livelihoods across all the counties," said Watai.

From BBC

Hans Holbein the Younger maintained his livelihood as a painter through times of religious and political turmoil.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet from that point on, he proved to be remarkably adaptable, maintaining his livelihood as a painter through religious and political turmoil aplenty.

From The Wall Street Journal

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.