n. | 1. | Real being; existence. |
2. | Inherency; | |
3. | That which furnishes support to animal life; means of support; provisions, or that which produces provisions; livelihood; | |
4. | (Theol.) Same as Hypostasis, 2. |
Noun | 1. | subsistence - minimal (or marginal) resources for subsisting; "social security provided only a bare subsistence" |
2. | subsistence - a means of surviving; "farming is a hard means of subsistence" | |
3. | subsistence - the state of existing in reality; having substance |