subsistence
Americannoun
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the state or fact of subsisting.
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the state or fact of existing.
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the providing of sustenance or support.
- Synonyms:
- nourishment, maintenance, survival
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means of supporting life; a living or livelihood.
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the source from which food and other items necessary to exist are obtained.
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Philosophy.
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existence, especially of an independent entity.
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the quality of having timeless or abstract existence.
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mode of existence or that by which a substance is individualized.
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noun
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the means by which one maintains life
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the act or condition of subsisting
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a thing that has real existence
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the state of being inherent
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philosophy an inferior mode of being ascribed to the references of general terms which do not in fact exist See also nonbeing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of subsistence
1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin subsistentia; see subsist, -ence
Explanation
Subsistence means the minimal resources that are necessary for survival. If you work for subsistence, you'll probably receive food, water, and lodging (internet access not included). Subsistence can be used in a variety of subtly different ways. In addition to referring to necessities for survival, it can indicate one's means of obtaining those necessities (usually a job). And if you feel like getting philosophical, subsistence can refer to the very act of existence itself.
Vocabulary lists containing subsistence
"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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Revolution in Our Time
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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.
Subsistence farms, which produce nearly a third of the world’s food, are being hit even harder, Ms. Coleman said.
From New York Times • Jan. 2, 2023
A limited season of up to 60 days was granted by the Federal Subsistence Board, and the harvest was distributed to 135 households in the village, documents state.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2021
They will install three discharge plates in a 1,000-cubic-foot blast freezer at a cannery in Cordova and test-freeze salmon, halibut, shrimp, kelp, and moose for the Native Elders Subsistence Foods program.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2021
Subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering have been more critical than ever.
From Washington Times • Jun. 2, 2020
Subsistence is a convenient facet of society with which to start, since it in turn affected other facets.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
