From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsubsistencesub‧sis‧tence /səbˈsɪstəns/ noun [uncountable] 1 SURVIVEthe condition of only just having enough money or food to stay alive Many of the families are forced to live at the subsistence level. The land provided subsistence and little more.2 → subsistence farming/agriculture etc3 → subsistence allowance/payment etc
Examples from the Corpus
subsistence• They were prisoners, for the most part, of a subsistence economy.• Factory workers were paid a subsistence wage.• Settlers to the area threatened the bears' subsistence.• To receive their full daily subsistence allowances, MEPs must have taken part in half the roll-call votes.• Parties and witnesses are entitled to allowances for loss of earnings, subsistence and travel to and from the tribunal.• In an era of fast food, subsistence incomes don't make for a culinary culture.• The vote against a federal guarantee of a minimal, subsistence level of support was a devastating loss to all women.• When accompanied by minimum subsistence pensions, as in Britain, retirement means economic dependency.• That is almost £500 below the minimum subsistence level for the poorest people in our society.• If overtime is not paid subsistence can be claimed at own base.From Longman Business Dictionarysubsistencesub‧sis‧tence /səbˈsɪstəns/ noun1[uncountable] a small amount of money or food that is just enough to survive onRefugees are dependent for subsistence on support from aid agencies.Unfortunately, these people have become used to living at subsistence levels (=with just enough food etc to survive).Foreign workers are paid subsistence wages by local standards.2subsistence agriculture/farming etcFARMING farming in which farmers produce just enough food for their families to live on 