Meaning & use
subsist
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To stay alive with only the smallest amount of food, money, or other necessities.
Grammar: No object; often followed by on: They subsist on rice and beans.
Patterns
- subsist on something
- subsist by doing something
After losing his job, he had to subsist on a few dollars a day.
Many families in the region subsist on what they grow in their own gardens.
The refugees subsisted on bread and water for weeks.
verbintransitive
To continue to exist, especially in a weak or limited form.
Grammar: No object; often used in formal writing about ideas, customs, or organizations.
Patterns
- subsist on something
- subsist in something
The old tradition still subsists in a few remote villages.
A few small shops subsist on the edge of town.
Word forms
| third person singular | subsists |
|---|---|
| past tense | subsisted |
| past participle | subsisted |
| -ing form | subsisting |
Common combinations
- subsist on
- They subsist on a diet of rice and vegetables.
- subsist by
- He subsists by doing odd jobs.
- barely subsist
- The family barely subsists on their small income.
- subsist from
- The village subsists from fishing and farming.
Synonyms and how they differ
- survive
- Survive is more general and can mean to continue living after danger or hardship; subsist emphasizes having only the minimum needed for life.
- exist
- Exist simply means to be real or present; subsist adds the idea of managing with very little.
- live on
- Live on is a common phrasal verb meaning to eat or use something as one's main support; it is less formal than subsist on.
Word family
- subsistence noun
- The state of having only the basic things needed to live.
- subsistent adjective
- Existing independently; also used in philosophy.
Commonly confused: subsist or subsist?
subsist vs subsist
Do not confuse with 'subsist' and 'consist': consist means to be made up of something (The team consists of five players), while subsist means to survive with very little.
Practice
The family ______ on less than two dollars a day.
Choose one answer.
The subject 'family' is singular, so the third-person singular form 'subsists' is correct. 'Subsist' would be used with a plural subject like 'families'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subsist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.