Dictionary

subsistence en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /səbˈsɪstəns/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Real being; existence.
   • the human nature loseth its proper subsistence , and is assumed into the subsistence of the divine nature 1686, Edward Stillingfleet, the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome:
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of maintaining oneself at a minimum level.
3. (countable, uncountable) Inherency.
   • the subsistence of qualities in bodies
4. (countable, uncountable) Something (food, water, money, etc.) that is required to stay alive.
   • His viceroy could only propose to himself a comfortable subsistence out of the plunder of his province. 1716 February 2 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 10. Sunday, January 23. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:
   • In the general course of human nature, a power over a man's subsistence amounts to a power over his will. 1788, Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist, Dawson, Federalist 79, page 548:
5. (countable, uncountable) Embodiment or personification or hypostasis of an underlying principle or quality.

Forms

Deriveds

subsistence economy · subsistence farming · nonsubsistence · consubsistence · subsistence level · subsistential · subsistence crop

Relateds

subsist · subsistent

Synonyms

sustenance (something required to stay alive) · hypostasis

Translations (21)

ru пропита́ние (means of support) · ro subzistență (means of support) · ar كَفَاف (means of support) · pt subsistência (means of support) · hi आजीविका (means of support) · ru прожи́тие (means of support) · ca subsistència (means of support) · ru прожи́ток (means of support) · de Auskommen (means of support) · de Lebensunterhalt (means of support) · sv underhåll (means of support) · tr azık (means of support) · ia subsistentia (means of support) · cs obživa (means of support) · es subsistencia (means of support) · sh издржавање (means of support) · ro mijloace de trai (means of support) · hi जीविका (means of support) · ga cothabháil (means of support) · sh izdržavanje (means of support) · bg препитание (means of support)