subsistent

Subsistent is an adjective meaning existing or maintained at the most basic level of existence, and often connected with the idea of subsistence. It can describe people, economies, or conditions that meet only the minimum requirements for survival, as well as entities that have independent, self-sustaining existence in a philosophical or theological context. The term is derived from the Latin subsistere, meaning to stand from beneath or to stand up, and entered English with senses related to being and survival.

In practical usage, subsistent is common in discussions of subsistence agriculture, subsistent economies, or subsistent poverty, where activities and conditions are focused on meeting essential needs rather than growth or luxury. It is less common in everyday modern prose, where "subsistence" or "minimal" might be preferred. In academic contexts, the word can appear in historical, anthropological, or philosophical writings to convey a state of basic existence or the bare minimum required to endure.

Related terms include subsistence, subsist, and subsistent being, used in philosophy and theology to describe modes of existence. The adjective should not be confused with substantial, which relates to importance, amount, or significance rather than the bare-minimum state.