subsistence
noun
sub·sis·tence
səb-ˈsi-stən(t)s 
1
a(1)
: real being : existence
(2)
: the condition of remaining in existence : continuation, persistence
b
: an essential characteristic quality of something that exists
c
: the character possessed by whatever is logically conceivable
2
: means of subsisting: such as
a
: the minimum (as of food and shelter) necessary to support life
b
: a source or means of obtaining the necessities of life
Examples of subsistence in a Sentence
They depended on hunting and fishing for subsistence.
Farming is their means of subsistence.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Arctic tribal communities that collected the samples are still fully reliant on marine resources for subsistence, Lefebvre said.
—
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 July 2025
This was collaboration, vengeance, and subsistence between strategic agents determined to outdo each other.
—Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
As of today, the monuments still exist, though their subsistence seems at risk.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
By contrast, tariffs would differentiate American industrialization from the British experience, shielding domestic labor from subsistence wages and securing workers opportunities for social-economic mobility.
— Made By History, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsistence
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 July 2025
This was collaboration, vengeance, and subsistence between strategic agents determined to outdo each other.
—Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
As of today, the monuments still exist, though their subsistence seems at risk.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
By contrast, tariffs would differentiate American industrialization from the British experience, shielding domestic labor from subsistence wages and securing workers opportunities for social-economic mobility.
— Made By History, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsistence
Cite this Entry
“Subsistence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsistence. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subsistence
noun
sub·sis·tence
səb-ˈsis-tən(t)s
1
a
: real being : existence
b
: the condition of remaining in existence : continuation, persistence
2
a
: means of subsisting
b
: the minimum (as of food and shelter) necessary to support life
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