livelihood

noun

live·​li·​hood ˈlīv-lē-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce livelihood (audio)
1
: means of support or subsistence (see subsistence sense 2)
The villagers' main livelihood is fishing.
2
obsolete : the quality or state of being lively

Examples of livelihood in a Sentence

Many fishermen believe that the new regulations threaten their livelihoods.
Recent Examples on the Web During Johannes' freshman and sophomore years, his family's livelihood wasn't a liability. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Supply chains are often talked about in nonhuman corporate terms, but they are made up of people whose livelihoods depend on them. 1000 Landscapes For 1 Billion People, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Farmers were demanding the reversal of some of the most progressive measures in the world to counter climate change and protect biodiversity, arguing that the rules were harming their livelihoods and strangling them with red tape. Raf Casert, Quartz, 25 Feb. 2024 The destruction and dispossession of their farmland has had hit the livelihoods of Otu-Bensil and over 150 farmers that relied on it. Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 25 Feb. 2024 Baumann expressed understanding for the concerns of filmmakers, Palestinian and others, who see their work and livelihood threatened. Ed Meza, Variety, 24 Feb. 2024 Details of the call, obtained by The Post, offer a view into how the lives and livelihoods of those pursuing or practicing assisted reproductive medicine in Alabama have been plunged into chaos since the court’s Friday ruling. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 Its aim: prevent the loss of lives and livelihood due to lightning. Sushmita Pathak, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2024 My goal is to foster the creation of jobs within the community, not only bringing economic prosperity but also supporting the livelihoods of its residents. Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'livelihood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English livelode course of life, from Old English līflād, from līf + lād course — more at lode

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of livelihood was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near livelihood

Cite this Entry

“Livelihood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/livelihood. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

livelihood

noun
live·​li·​hood ˈlīv-lē-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce livelihood (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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