livelihood

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

livelihood
    n 1: the financial means whereby one lives; "each child was
         expected to pay for their keep"; "he applied to the state
         for support"; "he could no longer earn his own livelihood"
         [syn: {support}, {keep}, {livelihood}, {living}, {bread and
         butter}, {sustenance}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Livelihood \Live"li*hood\, n. [OE. livelode, liflode, prop.,
   course of life, life's support, maintenance, fr. AS. l[imac]f
   life + l[=a]d road, way, maintenance. Confused with
   livelihood liveliness. See {Life}, and {Lode}.]
   Subsistence or living, as dependent on some means of support;
   the means for support of life; maintenance.
   [1913 Webster]

         The opportunities of gaining an honest livelihood.
                                                  --Addison.
   [1913 Webster]

         It is their profession and livelihood to get their
         living by practices for which they deserve to forfeit
         their lives.                             --South.
   [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Livelihood \Live"li*hood\, n. [Lively + -hood.]
   Liveliness; appearance of life. [Obs.] --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

40 Moby Thesaurus words for "livelihood":
      TLC, alimentation, alimony, art, bread, bread and butter, care,
      craft, daily bread, economic support, emolument, endowment, fee,
      handicraft, keep, living, maintenance, manna, meat, mothering,
      nourishment, nurture, pay, price support, profession, provision,
      salary, stipend, subsidization, subsidy, subsistence, subvention,
      support, sustainment, sustenance, sustentation, tender loving care,
      trade, upkeep, wage