livelihood
gb/lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/ us/lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
B2
English
~ 9700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
means of earning a living
The way someone gets money and basic things for life, usually from a job or business.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s livelihood
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "livelihood" with "life" or "lifestyle." "Life" is about being alive in general, and "lifestyle" is how someone lives (habits, interests). "Livelihood" only means how someone gets money and basic needs. Also, learners may say *"do a livelihood"* or *"make a livelihood"* instead of the more common English phrase "make a living." Use: "earn a livelihood" or, more naturally, "make a living."
Synonyms
living (Very close in meaning; often used in the phrase "make a living" and slightly more common in everyday speech.)
|
income (Focuses more on the money received, not on the job or activity itself.)
|
occupation (Emphasizes the job or work someone does, not directly the support it provides.)
Antonyms
unemployment (Describes the state of not having work and therefore not having a livelihood.)
|
destitution (Describes a state of having no money or resources to support life, the absence of a livelihood.)
Collocations
earn a livelihood
|lose your livelihood
|threaten [someone]'s livelihood
|secure a livelihood
|means of livelihood
|destroy [someone]'s livelihood
Themes
work
|economy
|daily life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Fishing is the main livelihood for many families in the village.
- When the factory closed, hundreds of workers lost their livelihood.
- New regulations are threatening the livelihood of small business owners.
- She moved to the city in search of a better livelihood.
- Tourism provides an important livelihood for people in this region.
Learner examples
- He drives a taxi for his livelihood.
- Many farmers depend on rice for their livelihood.
- They lost their livelihood after the shop burned down.
- Her art is not just a hobby; it is her livelihood.
- The new law may hurt the livelihood of local workers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
livelihood
IPA
GB/lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
US/lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
Syllables & stress
live - li - hood (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (live)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: livelihood
- Plural: livelihoods
Word family
Expressions
build a livelihood
1/bˈɪld ə lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
fixed phrase
slowly create a way to live
To slowly create work or a business that gives you enough money to live.
Examples
- She moved to the city to build a new livelihood.
- Many migrants try to build a livelihood in foreign countries.
destroy [someone]'s livelihood
1/dɪstɹˈɔɪ sˈoʊmˈoʊnz lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
fixed phrase
completely take away income source
To completely take away the work or business that someone lives on.
Examples
- The new shopping mall could destroy the livelihood of many small shop owners.
- A long drought destroyed the livelihood of farmers in the region.
earn a livelihood
1/ˈɚn ə lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
fixed phrase
earn enough to support yourself
To get enough money from work to live on.
Examples
- They earn their livelihood by selling vegetables at the market.
- Many artists struggle to earn a livelihood from their work.
lose your livelihood
1/lˈuz jˈʊɹ lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
fixed phrase
no longer have your income source
To lose the job or work that gives you money to live.
Examples
- Hundreds of fishermen may lose their livelihood if the river is polluted.
- After the earthquake, many people lost their livelihood overnight.
means of livelihood
1/mˈinz əv lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
fixed phrase
formal
specific way of earning income
The job, work, or activity that gives someone money to live.
Examples
- Fishing is his only means of livelihood.
- Many people in the area depend on tourism as their main means of livelihood.
secure a livelihood
1/sɪkjˈʊɹ ə lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
fixed phrase
formal
get stable means to live
To get a steady job or income that is enough to live on.
Examples
- Education can help young people secure a livelihood.
- The project aims to help refugees secure a livelihood in their new country.
threaten [someone]'s livelihood
1/θɹˈɛtən sˈoʊmˈoʊnz lˈaɪvlihˌʊd/
fixed phrase
put someone's income at risk
To create a risk that someone will lose the work or money they need to live.
Examples
- The new law could threaten the livelihood of small farmers.
- Rising fuel prices are threatening the livelihood of taxi drivers.