subsistence
n. uncountablen. the state of having just enough food, water, and money to stay alive. It describes a way of living where you produce only what you need for yourself without any extra to sell.
n. the state of remaining in force or existence; most commonly refers to the minimum level of resources, such as food and shelter, necessary for survival.
The family lives on a subsistence level.
Many rural communities in the region still rely on subsistence farming, growing only enough crops to feed their own families.
The transition from subsistence economies to market-based systems often disrupts traditional social structures, as individuals begin producing surplus goods for trade rather than focusing solely on immediate survival.
From Middle English subsistence; partly from Middle French subsistence (modern French subsistance) and partly from its etymon Late Latin subsistentia (“substance, reality, in Medieval Latin also stability”), from Latin subsistēns, present participle of subsistere (“to continue, subsist”). Perhaps also partly from subsist + -ence.
Often used as a modifier before another noun, such as 'subsistence farming' or 'subsistence wages'.