subsistence farming: Meaning and Definition of

subsist'ence farm"ing

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. farming whose products are intended to provide for the basic needs of the farmer, with little surplus for marketing.
  2. farming that brings little or no profit to the farmer, allowing only for a marginal livelihood.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.