earn a living — make money to support yourself
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To make enough money to pay for your basic needs, such as food, housing, and bills, usually by working.
Say it like a native
Textbook She procures her sustenance through writing.
Native She earns a living by writing.
'Procures her sustenance' is absurd; 'earn / make a living' is the natural phrase.
Pattern: earn a living (by doing something)
In use
- She earns a living by teaching English to international students.work
- In my country, many people earn a living by running small family businesses, especially in rural areas.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She earns her life as a teacher.
✓ She earns a living as a teacher.
'Earn a living' — not 'earn your life'.
Common collocations
earn a living— as, by, a decent, make a
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'make a living', which is a near synonym but 'earn' focuses on working for the money.