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
Landowners seeking cheap labor thought carefully about how to deprive commoners of an independent means of subsistence.
—
Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
To give voice to Congolese citizens, Anderson spoke with figures ranging from rebel leaders to medical personnel, from a regional king to an elderly woman tending subsistence crops in a cemetery.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Whimbrels and other migratory birds face challenges including climate change, which is making hurricanes and tropical storms more frequent and more intense; rising sea levels; hunting, for both subsistence and sport; and habitat loss.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026
This was the local method of refrigeration, and the villagers survived on subsistence hunting.
—Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subsistence
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Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
To give voice to Congolese citizens, Anderson spoke with figures ranging from rebel leaders to medical personnel, from a regional king to an elderly woman tending subsistence crops in a cemetery.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Whimbrels and other migratory birds face challenges including climate change, which is making hurricanes and tropical storms more frequent and more intense; rising sea levels; hunting, for both subsistence and sport; and habitat loss.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026
This was the local method of refrigeration, and the villagers survived on subsistence hunting.
—Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subsistence
Cite this Entry
“Subsistence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsistence. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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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