Meaning & use
for a living
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
as the job that provides the money you need to live on
Grammar: Comes at the end of a sentence, after a verb such as work, paint, or teach.
Patterns
- work for a living
- do something for a living
- earn money for a living
My uncle drives a taxi for a living, so he knows every street in town.
She paints portraits for a living and sells about ten each month.
What does your sister do for a living — is she still nursing?
Common combinations
- work for a living
- Both my parents worked for a living until they retired.
- do something for a living
- He does magic tricks for a living at children's parties.
- what someone does for a living
- People often ask me what I do for a living.
- make a living
- It is hard to make a living as a musician in a small town.
- earn a living
- She earns a living by repairing bicycles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- make a living
- Very close in meaning, but it focuses on earning enough to survive and is used without 'for' before the activity: 'She makes a living selling bread.'
- as a job
- A plainer phrase that names the work itself rather than the money it brings: 'He cooks as a job, not for fun.'
Word family
- living noun
- the money and conditions you need to stay alive; also used in 'make a living'.
- livelihood noun
- a formal word for the way you earn the money you need to live.
Commonly confused: for a living or for life?
for a living vs for life
'For a living' means as your job; 'for life' means for the rest of your life, as in 'He was sent to prison for life.'
Practice
Which sentence uses 'for a living' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase keeps the article 'a': 'for a living'. Option 0 drops it, option 2 uses 'the', and option 3 adds extra words that change the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “for a living”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.