What does "livelihood" mean?
A means of providing the necessities of life for oneself (for example, a job or income).
Livelihood
/ˈlaɪvlihʊd/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A means of providing the necessities of life for oneself (for example, a job or income).
- Grammar: livelihood is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: alimentation, alimony, art, bacon.
- Useful contrasts: desolateness, destitution, poverty.
- Usage evidence: How is livelihood in America these day?
How to use "livelihood"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "livelihood" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "livelihood" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "livelihood" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "livelihood" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "livelihood" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alimentation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "livelihood", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A means of providing the necessities of life for oneself (for example, a job or income). countable, uncountable
"an independent livelihood; to make / earn / gain / win a good livelihood by the sweat of one's brow"
- 2 the financial means whereby one lives wordnet
- 3 Property which brings in an income; an estate. archaic, countable, uncountable
"Then ſayde Peter: Ananias how is it that ſatan hath filled thyne hert thatt thou ſhuldeſt lye vnto the holy gooſt and kepe awaye parte off the pryce off the lyvelod[…]?"
- 4 Liveliness; appearance of life. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"[…] the tiranny of her ſorrowes takes all liuelihood from her cheeke."
- 5 The course of someone's life; a person's lifetime, or their manner of living; conduct, behaviour. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"wel said Merlyn I knowe a lord of yours in this land that is a passyng true man & a feithful & he shal haue the nourysshyng of your child & his name is sir Ector & he is a lord of fair lyuelode in many partyes in Englond & walys"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"How is livelihood in America these day?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "livelihood"?
Common synonyms include: alimentation, alimony, art, bacon, bread, bread and butter.
How do you use "livelihood" in a sentence?
How is livelihood in America these day?
How do you pronounce "livelihood"?
Pronounced /ˈlaɪvlihʊd/.
Etymology
From Middle English liflode, from Old English līflād (“course of life, conduct”), from līf (“life”) + lād (“course, journey”), later altered under the influence of lively, -hood. Compare life, lode.