Subsistence Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (original) (raw)

subsistence

/səbˈsɪstəns/

noun

Britannica Dictionary definition of SUBSISTENCE

[noncount]

:

the amount of food, money, etc., that is needed to stay alive

• They depended on hunting and fishing for subsistence.
• Farming is their means of subsistence.
• subsistence farming/agriculture [=farming that provides enough food to live on but not enough food to sell to other people]
• More than a quarter of the population lives below (the) subsistence level. [=a level of income that provides only enough money for basic needs]