livelihood
Americannoun
noun
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.
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.
Vocabulary lists containing livelihood
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Can I Work It? Words for "Job"
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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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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.
Anticipated regret—FOMO—is insidious, but it isn’t as strong as the fear of losing your livelihood.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
A few kilometres from Kinshasa, small-scale fishing still provides a livelihood for more than 600 families on the small river island of Kimpoko.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
British Columbia Premier David Eby has opposed the new project, arguing it poses a risk to the northwestern Pacific coast and would disrupt the livelihood of the region’s residents.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
And not just because one of the leading contestants torched himself and his political livelihood in a bonfire of hubris and stupidity.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
I liked the idea that no one would steal another person’s livelihood, even though they could do it in the dark of night, unseen.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
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.
