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.
It once had about 800 people living there, but now only 16 people call it home - including TV presenter Banjo, who has hosted the likes of Scotland's Home of the Year, and his husband.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Indian businesses are facing cash-strapped consumers, reeling from shortages in cooking gases, and seeing sharp spikes in cost of living and lower remittances.
From Barron's • May 30, 2026
Our colleagues found that, 4,400 years ago, less than 20% of the ancestry of the people living there traced back to the earlier farmers and hunter-gatherers.
From Science Daily • May 30, 2026
“Make a decent living, buy a house, have a great education for your kids, and retire,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
In the morning, as golden light spilled through the living room window, I took a dozen photos of the hat.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
