all their livelihood

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "all their livelihood" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the means by which someone earns a living or sustains themselves financially. Example: "The sudden closure of the factory left many workers without all their livelihood, forcing them to seek new employment opportunities."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

After all, their livelihood depends on it.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The city council complained to the Duke of Saxony that printers faced losing "house, home, and all their livelihood" because "that which one would gladly sell, and for which there is demand, they are not allowed to have or sell".

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

After all, their livelihoods are built around finding ways to invent and rules impose order, not further progress.

Forbes

After all, their livelihoods depend on it.

Los Angeles Times

Thousands of people probably lost most, if not all, of their livelihoods (the majority of Lhasa's small businesses have no insurance, let alone against rioting).

The Economist

The lack of water has caused more than 800,000 people in eastern Syria to lose "almost all of their livelihoods and face extreme hardship," according to a report by the U.N. humanitarian office.

The New York Times

This is their livelihood and passion, after all.

HuffPost

Archie Law, the executive director of ActionAid, said: "Glencore is robbing communities all over the world of their livelihood and the public funds that should be paying for basic infrastructure and public services".

The Guardian - Business

If a Republican wins in 2016 and the GOP have blocked immigration reform, then all those Dreamers who used DACA could wake up in January 2017 having lost all sense of security in their livelihood, and research has shown the consequences of this stress on mixed families.

Huffington Post

Families that depended on coffee for all, or a substantial portion of their livelihood, had new choices that could help increase their economic security.

The New York Times

All face the loss of their home, their livelihood and their community.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "all their livelihood", ensure the context clearly indicates that the described situation impacts the entirety of someone's or a group's means of living, not just a portion.

Common error

Avoid using "all their livelihood" when only a part of someone's income or means of survival is affected. The phrase implies a complete loss or impact on their ability to sustain themselves.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "all their livelihood" functions as a possessive phrase, typically acting as a noun modifier to emphasize the entirety of someone's means of living. It is used to highlight the comprehensive nature of their sustenance, as seen in the Ludwig examples where communities and individuals face complete loss of their income sources.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "all their livelihood" is a phrase used to emphasize the entirety of someone's means of living, often in the context of loss or impact. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. While relatively rare in occurrence, it is most frequently found in news and media, formal business contexts, and science-related articles. When employing this phrase, ensure the situation genuinely affects the complete means of survival rather than a partial aspect.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

their entire means of living

Focuses on the completeness of the provided resources for existence.

their whole source of income

Emphasizes the income aspect, referring to the complete financial resource.

their complete financial support

Highlights the financial aspect of their sustenance.

everything they live on

A more simplified way to express the resources one depends on.

all their financial resources

Broadens the scope to include any financial means available to them.

their total sustenance

Refers to the entirety of what is required to sustain life.

the sum of their earnings

Focuses on the accumulation of income from various sources.

their only means of survival

Highlights the critical nature of the resource for existence.

their sole source of revenue

Emphasizes that it is the only financial gain.

their bread and butter

An idiomatic expression referring to one's main source of income.

FAQs

How can I use "all their livelihood" in a sentence?

You can use "all their livelihood" to describe a situation where people lose their entire means of sustenance. For instance, "The factory closure deprived the workers of "all their livelihood"".

What are some alternatives to saying "all their livelihood"?

Alternatives include "their entire means of living", "their complete financial support", or "everything they live on", depending on the specific context you wish to emphasize.

Is it appropriate to use "all their livelihood" in formal writing?

Yes, "all their livelihood" is appropriate for formal writing, especially when discussing economic impacts or survival strategies. Its clarity and directness make it suitable for reports, articles, and academic papers.

What's the difference between "their livelihood" and "all their livelihood"?

"Their livelihood" refers generally to how someone makes a living, while ""all their livelihood"" implies the complete loss or reliance on a specific source of income. The addition of "all" intensifies the scope.