the state of having just enough money or food to stay aliveMany families are living below the level of subsistence.to live below (the) subsistence levelThey had no visible means of subsistence.subsistence agriculture/farming(= growing enough only to live on, not to sell)subsistence cropsOur ancestors lived in basic subsistence economies where cash never changed hands.He worked a 16-hour day for a subsistence wage(= enough money to buy only basic items).Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjectivebare,basicsubsistence + nounagriculture,farming,farmer,…phrasesa level of subsistence,means of subsistenceSeefull entrySee related entries:Poverty and famine,Growing cropsExtra examplesShe earns less than a subsistence wage at the mail-order company.She had no means of subsistence and was dependent on charity.They were living barely above the level of subsistence.their family’s basic subsistence needs
See subsistence in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishSee subsistence in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
