subsistence farming

noun

1

: farming or a system of farming that provides all or almost all the goods required by the farm family usually without any significant surplus for sale

2

: farming or a system of farming that produces a minimum and often inadequate return to the farmer

called also subsistence agriculture

subsistence farmer noun

Examples of subsistence farming in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Clavero is a village reliant mainly on subsistence farming and fishing. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026

In addition to subsistence farming, timber was the largest industry in early Saline County. — Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2026

Many residents purchased multiple land lots to practice subsistence farming, enabling them to cultivate their own land and achieve greater economic independence. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Apr. 2026

Over those hundred years, DuPage County was home to small towns and farming families, first supporting themselves through subsistence farming. — Graydon Megan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for subsistence farming

• alarming
• disarming
• arming
• charming
• harming