livelihood
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the way you earn money to pay for food, a home, and other basic needs.
a means of providing the necessities of life for oneself, typically through employment or a trade.
Simple“Many fishermen lost their livelihood when the government closed the local port.”
In context“The sudden collapse of the tourism industry threatened the livelihood of thousands of families who relied on seasonal visitors for their annual income.”
UsageOften used with verbs like 'earn', 'lose', or 'threaten'.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
an old-fashioned word for having a lot of energy or looking very alive.
the quality of being lively or having the appearance of life.
Simple“The old painting still had a certain livelihood in the character's eyes.”
In context“The poet remarked upon the livelihood of the spring blossoms, noting how they seemed to dance with a spirit of their own.”
“Like many families here, hers depends on the forest for its livelihood.”
“However, leaving disease out of climate policy ignores emissions that don't produce food or benefit livelihoods.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.