Synonyms

subsist

American

[suhb-sist] / səbˈsɪst /

verb (used without object)

to exist; continue in existence.
to remain alive; live, as on food, resources, etc.
to have existence in, or by reason of, something.
to reside, lie, or consist (usually followed byin ).
Philosophy.
1. to have timeless or abstract existence, as a number, relation, etc.
2. to have existence, especially independent existence.

verb (used with object)

to provide sustenance or support for; maintain.

subsist British

/ səbˈsɪst /

verb

(often foll by on) to be sustained; manage to live

to subsist on milk
to continue in existence
(foll by in) to lie or reside by virtue (of); consist
philosophy
1. to exist as a concept or relation rather than a fact
2. to be conceivable
obsolete (tr) to provide with support

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of subsist

1540–50; < Latin subsistere to remain, equivalent to sub- sub- + sistere to stand, make stand; see stand

Explanation

When you subsist, you keep yourself alive. Since most airlines have stopped serving food, many travelers are forced to subsist on little packets of pretzels, even on long flights. To subsist is to feed yourself, or keep yourself going, especially when you just barely manage to do so. A hunger striker might subsist on only water for weeks, and people in developing countries often have to subsist on small rations of rice or grain. Subsist comes from the Latin word subsistere, "to stand firm," but sometimes subsisting makes people feel like they are barely standing, rather than firmly standing.

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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.

In the wild, wolf packs primarily subsist on wild ungulates - hoofed, typically herbivorous, animals such as deer, cows and pigs.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

As Boy Scouts, the twins learned to survive in the wilderness, or at least subsist on oatmeal for two days as they did once after running out of other food.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Those who subsist on the fringes of the Vegas tourism orbit are aware that they are in a funk but are nonetheless powerless to fix it.

From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025

Yet the text’s unhurried recollections reflect its content: “Homework” feels leisurely as if to reflect the functional, socialist-adjacent government that allows its characters to subsist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2025

She began to subsist on a diet of raita and Triscuits.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023