SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
subsistence
noun
The minimum means or resources needed to stay alive.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Basic means of survival
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSubsistence stresses what is needed to remain alive. Livelihood can include a fuller means of living, while food supply is only one component.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See subsistence in use
The memoir describes years spent earning only a bare subsistence.
The caretaker in a fictional travel diary earned only a bare subsistence from the shelter, covering basic food and lodging without money for comforts or expansion.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license