living

¹living

adjective

Definition of LIVING

1

a : having life

b : active, functioning <living languages>

2

a : exhibiting the life or motion of nature : natural <the wilderness is a living museum … of natural history — NEA Journal>

b : ²live 2a

3

a : full of life or vigor

b : true to life : vivid <televised in living color>

c : suited for living <the living area>

4

: involving living persons

5

: very —used as an intensive <scared the living daylights out of me>

— liv·ing·ness noun

Examples of LIVING

1. I was taught to respect all living things.
2. His aunt is his closest living relative.
3. He's one of our greatest living authors.
4. It was the first time I had ever seen a living, breathing bear in the wild.

First Known Use of LIVING

before 12th century

Related to LIVING

Synonyms

alive, functional, functioning, going, live, active, on, operating, operational, operative, running, working

Antonyms

broken, dead, inactive, inoperative, kaput (also kaputt), nonactivated, nonfunctional, nonfunctioning, nonoperating, nonoperational, nonoperative

Related Words

effective, effectual; employable, operable, usable (also useable), viable, workable; performing, producing, productive, serving, useful, yielding; astir, bustling, busy, dynamic, flourishing, humming, roaring, thriving

Near Antonyms

deactivated, decommissioned; ineffective, ineffectual, useless; inoperable, unusable, unworkable; arrested, asleep, dormant, fallow, idle, inert, latent, lifeless, nonproductive, quiescent, sleepy, stagnating, unproductive, vegetating

²living

noun

Definition of LIVING

1

: the condition of being alive

2

a : means of subsistence : livelihood <earning a living>

b archaic : estate, property

c British : benefice 1

3

: conduct or manner of life <the collegiate way of living — J. B. Conant>

Examples of LIVING

1. the challenges of city living
2. It's summertime, and the living is easy.
3. the living and the dead
4. The world belongs to the living.

First Known Use of LIVING

14th century