live off

verb

lived off; living off; lives off

transitive verb

: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)
… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.Eyal Press
… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …Mark Carwardine
… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.National Wildlife
… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.Erika Hayasaki
Max lives off his father …Harold Beaver

Examples of live off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Massie wears a debt clock lapel pin and lives off the grid. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2025 The family has often lived off the grid, parked on remote federal land. Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025 The lizards primarily live off insects and arthropods, but their proximity to humans has led to some developing a more omnivorous approach to their foraging. ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025 Pushing the north side of the building 30 feet back from the property line, putting more distance between the development and residents who live off 38th Street. Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for live off

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of live off was in 1609

Cite this Entry

“Live off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20off. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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