SUBSISTENCE

[noun] [U] [formal]Subsistence is what a person needs in order to stay alive.The money is intended to provide a basic subsistence and should not be paid to someone who receives other income.Most people lived on communal land, producing food only for their own subsistence.(formal) Subsistence also means producing enough food or earning enough money to keep yourself alive.subsistence farming.subsistence wagesThe family were living at subsistence level.