livelihood

English

Alternative forms

• lyuelode [12th-17th c.]
• lyvelod [14th-17th c.]

Etymology

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. More at life, lode.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈlʌɪvlɪhʊd/

Noun

livelihood (plural livelihoods)

1. (obsolete) The course of someone's life; a person's lifetime, or their manner of living; conduct, behaviour. [10th-17th c.]
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book I.3:

     his name is sir Ector, & he is a lord of fair lyuelode in many partyes in Englond & Walys [...].

2. A person's means of supporting himself. [from 14th c.]
3. (now rare) Property which brings in an income; an estate. [from 15th c.]
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts V:

     Then sayde Peter: Ananias how is it that satan hath fillen thyne hert, thatt thou shuldest lye unto the holy goost, and kepe awaye parte off the pryce off thy lyvelod [...]?

Synonyms

• living
• subsistence

Translations

means of supporting oneself

Czech: obživa (cs) f., živobytí (cs) n. Dutch: levensonderhoud (nl) Finnish: toimeentulo (fi)

French: gagne-pain (fr) m., subsistance (fr) m. German: Lebensunterhalt (de) m. Spanish: sustento (es) m.