subsist

[ suhb-sist ]

/ səbˈsɪst /

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See synonyms for: subsist / subsisting on Thesaurus.com

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 by in).

Philosophy.

to have timeless or abstract existence, as a number, relation, etc.
to have existence, especially independent existence.

verb (used with object)

to provide sustenance or support for; maintain.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of subsist

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

OTHER WORDS FROM subsist

sub·sist·ing·ly, adverbpre·sub·sist, verb (used without object)self-sub·sist·ing, adjectivesu·per·sub·sist, verb (used without object)

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH subsist

subside, subsist

Words nearby subsist

subsidiary company, subsidiary ledger, subsidiary rights, subsidize, subsidy, subsist, subsistence, subsistence allowance, subsistence farming, subsistence level, subsistence wage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use subsist in a sentence

When most people are barely subsisting, they cannot buy consumer goods.
Fork in the Road: Where Will the GOP Turn?|Nick Fouriezos|January 10, 2021|Ozy
Both Senkler and Petersen pointed out that a parasitic lifestyle and slow growth could enable mistletoes to subsist on low amounts of ATP.
The Mystery of Mistletoe’s Missing Genes|Christie Wilcox|December 21, 2020|Quanta Magazine
The -21 is a theoretical limit though, and Bradley estimates that organisms would be subsisting at a higher power threshold.
Preserving a Sense of Wonder in DNA - Issue 92: Frontiers|Virat Markandeya|October 28, 2020|Nautilus
For hunter-gatherers, occupying environments where animal protein is essential to subsist, the hunt is an act of necessity.
The Psychic Toll of Severing the Hunter-Prey Relationship - Facts So Romantic|William Buckner|October 14, 2020|Nautilus

This allows them to subsist for years on a plant-based diet without suffering from symptoms of deficiency.
What the Meadow Teaches Us - Issue 90: Something Green|Andreas Weber|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
And cancer, deceiver, pretender, coward; it cannot even subsist without the vibrant people it depends on.
No One Ever Loses to Cancer|Dushka Zapata|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why does our government think it's okay for them to subsist on french fries and soda?
The Government is Still Failing Kids on School Lunches|Russell Saunders|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She announced her intention to subsist on a diet of water and fish broth, an estimated 200-400 calories per day.
The Hunger Strike Diet: You Don't Lose Weight AND You Accomplish Your Goal!|David Frum|January 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He begins his days at 4:30 a.m., hits the gym by 5, appears to subsist on energy bars, and is said to be “calm, quite—and deadly.”
Steve Jobs Resigns||August 25, 2011|DAILY BEAST
No more than one convent of each denomination is allowed to subsist, and great checks are put on the profession of new members.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
So small a number of people, he said, might easily subsist by catching fish and turtles.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
These animals prefer cold countries, but can subsist and propagate in temperate ones.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
They seem to require a warm climate to subsist and multiply in, and yet they are not found in India or Africa.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
When they fail in procuring animal food, they subsist on roots and fruits.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon

British Dictionary definitions for subsist

subsist

/ (səbˈsɪst) /

verb (mainly intr)

(often foll by on) to be sustained; manage to liveto subsist on milk

to continue in existence

(foll by in) to lie or reside by virtue (of); consist

philosophy

to exist as a concept or relation rather than a fact
to be conceivable

(tr) obsolete to provide with support

Derived forms of subsist

subsistent, adjectivesubsister, noun

Word Origin for subsist

C16: from Latin subsistere to stand firm, from sub- up + sistere to make a stand

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

subsist

Origin of subsist

OTHER WORDS FROM subsist

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH subsist

Words nearby subsist

Words related to subsist

How to use subsist in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subsist

Derived forms of subsist

Word Origin for subsist