livelihood

[ lahyv-lee-hood ]

noun

1. a means of supporting one's existence, especially financially or vocationally; living:

   to earn a livelihood as a tenant farmer.

   Synonyms: subsistence, sustenance

livelihood

/ ˈlaɪvlɪˌhʊd /

noun

1. occupation or employment

Word History and Origins

Origin of livelihood¹

before 1000; earlier liveliod, livelihod, alteration (by reanalysis as lively + -hood; compare obsolete livelihood liveliness) of Middle English livelod, Old English līflād conduct of life, way of life ( life, lode, load )

Example Sentences

Back in April, Togo launched a social welfare program using digital cash transfers as the government tried to help informal workers whose livelihoods had been disrupted by the pandemic and the accompanying lockdown.

From Quartz

The Democratic Party now has a crucial opportunity to join our fight and use their platform to ensure private equity can no longer destroy the livelihoods of workers left and right without any accountability.

From Fortune

It’s a monumental failing that we have made restaurant owners and workers choose between their livelihoods and their lives.

From Eater

Yet heritage is essential for social wellbeing, for identity creation, for safeguarding traditional knowledge and livelihoods and for sustainable development.

From Quartz

Every generation of online creators has been through some version of this crisis, with corporate decisions destroying their livelihoods or fracturing their communities.

From MIT Technology Review

However, miners still face harsh conditions and must be supported by more livelihood and jobs programs.

From The Daily Beast

To never, ever, ever put my livelihood in a position where I depended on white people liking me.

From The Daily Beast

Ebony had been 12 when her mother was suddenly deprived of her livelihood.

From The Daily Beast

It is often directly related to your income or livelihood and I take it very seriously.

From The Daily Beast

The government tells these people that they have to be responsible for their own livelihood, then denies them the right to work.

From The Daily Beast

He was used to finding himself suddenly cut off from the means of livelihood.

From Project Gutenberg

I judge that of nearly thirty thousand people who live here not ten thousand have any regular employment or means of livelihood.

From Project Gutenberg

The property of other people was their chief source of livelihood, and the streets, or the jails, were their homes.

From Project Gutenberg

Lastly, he began to feel some anxiety as to his future livelihood when his course at the Conservatoire should have come to an end.

From Project Gutenberg

The parish must keep them, it was often said; and they did not care to obtain an honest livelihood by the sweat of their brow.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• employment
• income
• living
• subsistence
• sustenance

When To Use

What are other ways to say livelihood?

A person’s livelihood is their means of supporting existence, especially financially or vocationally. Do you know the difference between livelihood, living, and maintenance? Find out on Thesaurus.com.