SUBSISTENCE Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

subsistence

noun

səb-ˈsi-stən(t)s

Definition of subsistence

as in existence

the fact of being or of being real believes in the subsistence of a soul as a separate entity from the body

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in continuation

uninterrupted or lasting existence the subsistence of the patient's infection, even after the use of antibiotics, had the doctors puzzled

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of subsistence The near-death experience forces her to confront her sense of isolation out in the prairie, where life is defined by subsistence. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 Aspiring early retirees of a more modest sort curb their ambitions considerably; the LeanFIRE subset, for example, counts adherents who are saving for subsistence, a nest egg that will cover just their basic necessities. — Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026 Human rights groups and regional NGOS have long warned that economic desperation in rural communities – where a lack of wage labor and vulnerable subsistence agriculture leave few alternatives – drives locals to take life-threatening risks. — Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 Exemptions include leather, shearling and hides from animals raised primarily for the food industry, as well as vintage fur, Indigenous subsistence hunting practices and synthetic fur alternatives. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for subsistence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subsistence

Noun

The sophism therefore happens when the linguistic form of human knowledge is taken as evidence for the existence of the same internal phenomenon.

— Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Later experiments at the Beijing Spectrometer and Belle in Japan supported its existence, but all of those observations came from collisions between electrons and positrons.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of existence

Noun

Training has been high-intensity and high-output, in a continuation of Howe’s methods, with double sessions in La Manga, where internal records were set for some of the physical markers players met.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
So the goal, in many ways, is a continuation, just mixed with some new quirks.

— Noah White, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of continuation

Noun

James Ratcliff spoke for the Farley Road Neighborhood Coalition, agreeing that a continuance is necessary because of the change in the occupancy limit count.

— Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
His hearing, during which he was served a life sentence, occurred this month after the defense requested multiple continuances.

— Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Definition of continuance

Noun

The two people who went missing while riding personal watercraft off the coast of Long Beach over the weekend are sharing their stories of survival after they were rescued by first responders.

— Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
The phase three study will continue to assess other outcomes, including the overall survival benefit of the regimen.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026