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.
Residents living close to the North Korean border expressed hope for greater openness from Pyongyang.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
That law lets the U.S. eavesdrop on foreigners living overseas and is set to expire on June 12.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
The drug is targeted adults living with obesity or overweight, without type 2 diabetes, and adults with overweight or obesity with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
I had a young family, a wife and a one-year-old daughter, so I decided to say 'I love football and it's my living but I'll walk away from it'.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
He goes over to the corner of the living room and checks himself out in the mirror hanging above the bar cart.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
