live off of

USAGE SUMMARY

"live off of" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to relying on something for sustenance or support, often financial. Example: "He decided to live off of his savings while he looked for a job." Alternative expressions include "live on" and "subsist on."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Informal

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

We live off of a dirt road.

The New York Times

We live off of that.

The New York Times

"Basically you can't live off of it," she said.

The New York Times

"We live off of very modest book royalties.

The New York Times

I live off of doing voices in cartoons".

The Guardian

"I live off of opportunities and the mistakes of defenders.

The Guardian - Sport

We have nothing else to live off of.

The Guardian

We live off of Mum and Dad's benefits.

The Guardian

I can't live off of twenty hours a week of minimum wage.

The New Yorker

"You can't live off of sales commissions when you're not selling".

The New York Times

"I thought it would be really hard to live off of all lamps".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal academic writing, consider using "subsist on" or "live on" to avoid the perceived wordiness of the double preposition.

Common error

Avoid using "live off of" when you mean the duration of an event. For instance, you 'live through' a crisis, but you "live off of" your savings during that crisis. Ensure the object of the phrase is the resource being consumed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "live off of" functions as a phrasal-prepositional verb. It combines the verb 'live' with the particle 'off' and the preposition 'of' to create a distinct meaning related to sustenance. According to Ludwig, this construction allows for a direct object that represents the source of support.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

20%

Social Media

10%

Less common in

Science

2%

Academia

2%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "live off of" is a well-established phrasal-prepositional verb in the English language, particularly within American English. It effectively communicates the concept of dependency, whether the subject is relying on a salary, a specific diet or even metaphorical resources like attention. While some linguistic purists argue that the 'of' is redundant—suggesting ""live on"" or "live off" instead—Ludwig AI shows that "live off of" is used extensively by elite publications such as The New York Times and The Guardian. It is a versatile tool for writers to describe how an entity sustains itself, though it is best suited for neutral or informal registers rather than strictly formal scientific or academic texts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

live on

Removes the preposition 'of' for a more concise and universally accepted form in all English dialects.

subsist on

Emphasizes the bare minimum required for survival or a meager lifestyle.

survive on

Focuses on the struggle to maintain life or functionality using specific resources.

rely on

Shifts the focus to the dependence or trust placed in the source of support.

depend on

Indicates a necessary condition where the subject's existence is contingent upon the source.

draw from

Suggests the act of taking resources from a specific fund, savings or pool.

sustain oneself with

A more formal and clinical way to describe maintaining life or energy.

exist on

Implies a precarious or very basic level of living supported by the resource.

support oneself by

Highlights the method or activity used to generate the means for living.

feed off

Often used metaphorically to suggest an opportunistic or even parasitic relationship.

FAQs

How to use "live off of" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe relying on something for survival, such as: "They had to "live off of the land" during the winter" or "He managed to "live off of his savings" for a year."

What can I say instead of "live off of"?

Depending on your context, you can use alternatives like ""live on"", ""subsist on"", or "rely on".

Which is correct, "live off of" or "live on"?

Both are grammatically correct. While ""live on"" is often preferred for its conciseness, "live off of" is a very common idiom in American English.

Is "live off of" informal?

It is generally considered neutral to slightly informal. While frequently seen in news media like The New York Times, formal academic papers often prefer the more direct ""subsist on"".