subsist

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /səbˈsɪst/ See IPA manual

Freq #73937

Meanings

1

verb
To stay alive with only the bare minimum of food or resources.

During the siege, the villagers subsisted on bread and water.
2

verb
To continue to exist or remain in a particular state.

Old tensions still subsist between the two neighbouring countries.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with subsist

subsist on Prepositional verb C2

to stay alive using only a limited amount of food or other resources

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to stay alive with only the... live

Word family

Forms subsistedsubsistingsubsists

Derived forms consubsist

Related forms subside subsistence subsistent

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

subsist on
to stay alive using only a limited amount of food or other resources

Verb + preposition/particle

Etymology

From Latin subsistō (“halt, stop”), from sub (“below”) + sistō (“stand, place”). Compare consist, desist, exist, insist, persist.

subsistō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# subsist

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /səbˈsɪst/
**Frequency rank:** 73937

## Meanings
1. To stay alive with only the bare minimum of food or resources.
2. To continue to exist or remain in a particular state.

## Examples
- During the siege, the villagers subsisted on bread and water.
- Old tensions still subsist between the two neighbouring countries.

## Derived Forms
- consubsist

## Related Forms
- subside
- subsistence
- subsistent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: subsistō

## Etymology
From Latin subsistō (“halt, stop”), from sub (“below”) + sistō (“stand, place”). Compare consist, desist, exist, insist, persist.

## AI Etymology
Subsist is from Latin subsistō (“halt, stop”), from sub (“below”) + sistō (“stand, place”). Compare consist, desist, exist, insist, persist. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include subsistō (Latin). Current senses include to stay alive with only the bare minimum of food or resources and to continue to exist or remain in a particular state. The wider family includes derived forms such as consubsist and related words such as subside, subsistence, and subsistent.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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