Livelihood is how a person earns money to support themselves and their family. A farmer's livelihood comes from growing and selling crops. A doctor's livelihood comes from treating patients. A carpenter's livelihood comes from building and fixing things with wood.

The word emphasizes that this is your main source of income, what you depend on to live. When someone says “I make my livelihood as a teacher,” they mean teaching puts food on the table and pays the bills. If a fisherman worries about pollution harming fish populations, he's worried about his livelihood because fewer fish means less money to support his family.

You'll often hear people talk about protecting or losing their livelihood. When a store owner's shop burns down, she loses her livelihood until she can rebuild. When new technology changes an industry, workers might need to find a new livelihood if their old skills become obsolete.

Your livelihood is whatever work makes it possible for you to have food, shelter, and other necessities in life.