livelihood

noun live·li·hood \ ˈlīv-lē-ˌhu̇d \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of livelihood

1 : means of support or subsistence (see subsistence 2)

The villagers' main livelihood is fishing.

2 obsolete : the quality or state of being lively

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Examples of livelihood in a Sentence

Many fishermen believe that the new regulations threaten their livelihoods.

Recent Examples of livelihood from the Web

The sprawling Pacific island chain has unique authority on the matter, its officials say, because its livelihood is uniquely intertwined with the shipping industry.

— maria gallucci, WIRED, "The Shipping Industry Sets Sail Toward a Carbon-Free Future," 17 Apr. 2018
The Florida Wildlife Federation, the Florida Association of Counties, realtors and many business owners have opposed the law out of fear turning away the public would affect their livelihoods.

— allie raffa, Fox News, "The battle over beach access in Florida heats up," 17 Apr. 2018
As Josh Donaldson pointed out in a heated but extremely reasonable tirade about beanball culture two years ago, intentionally throwing at a hitter puts his health and his livelihood at risk.

— ted berg, For The Win, "It's a weak move for AL pitchers to throw at opponents, and there's an easy solution," 12 Apr. 2018
Sadly, Reid knew that fighting for black rights could mean that he could be whiteballed, but the fight for the lives of unarmed black men, women and children meant more to him than his livelihood.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "NFL Safety Eric Reid Met With the Cincinnati Bengals and Everything Was Going Great Until They Got to the Protests," 11 Apr. 2018
Then in 2014, when state and federal agencies enacted the seasonal fishing ban in Cape Cod Bay, Lane began attending public hearings and academic conferences about right whales, in an effort to get his livelihood back.

— kathryn miles, BostonGlobe.com, "Can anyone save the North Atlantic right whale?," 11 Apr. 2018
Though YouTube has every right to dictate its policies, creators took the move personally, seeing it as a direct threat to their livelihoods.

— david pierson, latimes.com, "Like many content creators, YouTube shooter had a grievance with the video site. No one expected it to turn violent," 5 Apr. 2018
To a certain extent, that’s essential to my livelihood.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "The great literary debate: print or e-reader? | Miami Herald," 19 Mar. 2018
That's when the residents of this small farming community - a sprawling unincorporated enclave in Brazoria County down a dirt road near Rosharon - go to work, tilling dirt in their backyard greenhouses in an attempt to rebuild their livelihoods.

— y.c. orozco, Houston Chronicle, "Immigrant farmers in Rosharon-area community turn to land to recover after storm," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'livelihood.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of livelihood

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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LIVELIHOOD Defined for English Language Learners

livelihood

noun

Definition of livelihood for English Language Learners

: a way of earning money in order to live

LIVELIHOOD Defined for Kids

livelihood

noun live·li·hood \ ˈlīv-lē-ˌhu̇d \

Definition of livelihood for Students

: ²living 3

Learn More about livelihood

See words that rhyme with livelihood Spanish Central: Translation of livelihood Nglish: Translation of livelihood for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of livelihood for Arabic speakers

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livelihood

Definition of livelihood

Examples of livelihood in a Sentence

Recent Examples of livelihood from the Web

Origin and Etymology of livelihood

LIVELIHOOD Defined for English Language Learners

livelihood

Definition of livelihood for English Language Learners

LIVELIHOOD Defined for Kids

livelihood

Definition of livelihood for Students

Learn More about livelihood

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livelihood

Definition of livelihood

Examples of livelihood in a Sentence

Recent Examples of livelihood from the Web

Origin and Etymology of livelihood

LIVELIHOOD Defined for English Language Learners

livelihood

Definition of livelihood for English Language Learners

LIVELIHOOD Defined for Kids

livelihood

Definition of livelihood for Students

Learn More about livelihood

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