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livelihood

 - 3 dictionary results

live⋅li⋅hood

  [lahyv-lee-hood]
Use livelihood in a Sentence
–noun
a means of supporting one's existence, esp. financially or vocationally; living: to earn a livelihood as a tenant farmer.
Origin:
bef. 1000; earlier liveliod, livelihod, alter. (by reanalysis as lively + hood; cf. obs. livelihood liveliness) of ME livelod, OE līflād conduct of life, way of life (see life, lode, load )

Synonyms:
sustenance, subsistence. See living.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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live·li·hood   (līv'lē-hŏŏd')   
n.  Means of support; subsistence.

[Middle English livelyhed, alteration (influenced by liflihed, liveliness, energy, vigor) of livelode, from Old English līflād : līf, life; see life + lād, course; see leit- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

livelihood 
c.1300, livelode "means of keeping alive," from O.E. lifad "course of life," from lif "life" + lad "way, course" (see load). Spelling assimilated 16c. to words in -hood. Earlier livelihood was a different word, meaning "liveliness."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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