subsisting

Subsisting is the act of maintaining or supporting oneself at a minimal level of living, or simply existing, often under conditions of limited resources. The verb subsist is commonly used with the preposition on, as in subsisting on bread and water, or subsisting on a tight budget. It can also be used more generally to describe continued existence in the face of hardship.

From Latin subsistere, sub- "under" + sistere "to stand," the term entered English via Old French and Middle English. The original sense conveyed standing under or standing by, but the modern sense emphasizes continued life or daily endurance with limited means.

In economics and anthropology, subsistence refers to a mode of production or living in which a household or community aims to meet basic needs with minimal surplus. Subistence farming, also called smallholder or farming for household consumption, produces enough food to feed the farmer's family with little or no cash income. Hunter-gatherer and traditional agricultural societies are often described as subsistence-based, though many adapt to markets over time.

Usage notes: subsisting on a limited diet or income implies precariousness, whereas the intransitive sense of subsist describes continuing to exist at a basic level. The term is related to, but distinct from, survival, self-sufficiency, and subsistence farming.

Related concepts include subsistence, subsistence farming, self-sufficiency, and survival.