subsist

verb

sub·​sist səb-ˈsist How to pronounce subsist (audio)
subsisted; subsisting; subsists

intransitive verb

1
a
: to have existence : be
2
: to have or acquire the necessities of life (such as food and clothing)
especially : to nourish oneself
subsisting on roots, berries and grubs
3
a
: to hold true
b
: to be logically conceivable as the subject of true statements

transitive verb

: to support with provisions

Examples of subsist in a Sentence

The author's right to royalties shall subsist for the term of the copyright. a love that was as great as any that ever did subsist
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From here on out, Cam is pretty much tripping balls every day for the rest of his life, subsisting for the first few weeks on a bulk purchase from Lump. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 Pulling a cannonball There are a lot of baby boomers — among the most populous of generations — who are dependent on Social Security to augment their savings or merely to subsist. Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 Walker quit smoking and drinking after the sudden death of a close friend, Link said, and subsisted mainly on juiced vegetables for the last 15 years of his life. Hilarie M. Sheets, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025 The images showed him in saffron robes, subsisting (as the news channels reported) only on coconut water. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for subsist

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin subsistere to exist, from Latin, to come to a halt, remain, from sub- + sistere to come to a stand; akin to Latin stare to stand — more at stand

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of subsist was in 1549

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subsist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsist. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

subsist

verb
sub·​sist səb-ˈsist How to pronounce subsist (audio)
1
: to have or continue to have existence : be, persist
2
: to have or get the necessities of life (as food and clothing)
especially : to nourish oneself
subsisting on roots and berries

More from Merriam-Webster on subsist

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