live off

verb

lived off; living off; lives off

transitive verb

: to use (something or someone) as the main source of what one needs to survive (such as money or food)
… the indigenous … people, who have inhabited the rain forest of Irian Jaya, living off the land, for thousands of years.Eyal Press
… the fish goes into a kind of hibernation, living off its reserves of fat …Mark Carwardine
… she is one of the few Iditarod competitors who have turned professional, living off race winnings.National Wildlife
… a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste.Erika Hayasaki
Max lives off his father …Harold Beaver

Examples of live off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Many retirees like the idea of living off their portfolio income, but dividends will vary as will living expenses. Kristin McKenna, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 My abuelo grew up in a rancho in Río Grande, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, where his family lived off the land, eating corn, squash, beans, chiles and nopales. Paola Briseño-Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 The goal is for residents to be able to live off the land and grow their own organic food—kind of like the ultimate farm-to-table experience, but in your backyard. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2024 Everyone at that time lived off the forest and forestry exploitation. Outside Online, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for live off 

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of live off was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near live off

Cite this Entry

“Live off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20off. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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