Livelihood
/ˈlaɪvlihʊd/
Definitions
The means of supporting oneself; the way one earns a living.
/ˈlaɪvlihʊd/
A means of securing the necessities of life.
Many people in the village depend on tourism for their livelihood.
💡 Simply: Your livelihood is how you make your money to buy food, pay rent, and do all the things you need to live! It's your job or your way of making a living. For example, a fisherman's livelihood is fishing.
👶 For kids: It's the way someone makes money to buy things like food and toys.
More Examples
The government is trying to create more jobs to improve people's livelihoods.
He lost his livelihood when his business went bankrupt.
How It's Used
"Sustainable agricultural practices are vital to the livelihoods of rural communities."
"The study examined how changes in the job market impacted people's livelihoods."
Idioms & expressions
earn a livelihood
To make a living.
"He earns a livelihood as a freelance writer."
secure a livelihood
To find a stable or reliable way of making a living.
"Farmers struggle to secure a livelihood due to changing weather patterns."
From Middle English *livlihod*, equivalent to 'lively' + '-hood' (a state or condition). Originally referring to the condition of being alive or living, its meaning shifted to the means of supporting life.
Originally related to the concept of being alive, the word's meaning shifted during the 16th century to focus more on the means of sustaining life. It's been used consistently in discussing economic and social issues.