- present participle of live.
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.
“All the cavity nesters; all the nesters that rob the cavity nesters. Everyone is living in there. All of that is lost in one fell swoop. It’s a sort of strip mining.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The residence is divided into two distinct wings, allowing for separate living spaces within the nearly 12,000-square-foot property.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
France is facing some of the worst unrest in years, as student-led protests turned into broader riots over the rising costs of living.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Alongside Iran, the soaring cost of living was a recurring theme for the households visited by Banks and Starr.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
After the police guard had been removed, a series of homeless families had been housed there, although at the moment he believed the living quarters above the shop were empty.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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