/ ˈlaɪvlihʊd; NAmE / noun
[ C , usually sing. , U ] a means of earning money in order to live
SYN living :
Communities on the island depended on whaling for their livelihood.
a means / source of livelihood
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English līflād way of life , from līf life + lād course (see lode ). The change in the word's form in the 16th cent. was due to association with lively and -hood .