livelihood

American  

[lahyv-lee-hood] / ˈlaɪv liˌhʊd /

noun

• livelihoods
  plural

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 British  

/ ˈlaɪvlɪˌhʊd /

noun

1. occupation or employment

---

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• livelihoods
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of livelihood

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 ( see life, lode, load)

---

Explanation

Your livelihood is the job you work at to earn the income that supports you. The word livelihood started out as the Old English līflād, or "course of life," and around the 13th century changed to livelode, which meant "a means of keeping one alive." As "-lode" morphed into "-hood," which meant "state, condition," the meaning of the word also changed to mean support for a person's life. That naturally came to mean your job, which provides the monetary support to keep you going.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

livelihood livelihoods

The sport initially paid too little to provide a secure livelihood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

"Thailand spent 15 years investing in alternative livelihood before starting eradicating," Ok Serei said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

For Wiessner, 60, the flooding wasn’t just about livability, but livelihood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

"If you don't listen to me, how can you come and kill my business, destroy my family's, my livelihood?" he asked.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

The argument went that we benefitted from compulsory education, as it provides a livelihood for formerly enslaved, who couldn’t find gainful employment after the war.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Roy has promised to keep more Angelenos housed and protect their livelihoods through “affirmative litigation” — suits brought against slumlords and exploitative corporations under the state’s Unfair Competition Law.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

The drivers, many of whom are immigrants, say the ban eliminates their livelihoods with no viable alternative offered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

Amount of Anthropic’s shares the company is to commit to a public benefit fund that could be distributed to charitable organizations or directly to people whose livelihoods are displaced by AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

Some protested specific projects, notably the World Bank-backed Pak Mun dam, a hydropower project completed in 1994 that fishing communities say damaged their livelihoods.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

On Monday, May 29, the first day of the stay-at-home, hundreds of thousands of people risked their jobs and livelihoods by not going to work.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• employment
• income
• living
• subsistence
• sustenance

---