outlive

verb

out·​live ˌau̇t-ˈliv 

outlived; outliving; outlives

transitive verb

1

: to live beyond or longer than

outlived most of his friends

outlive its usefulness

2

: to survive the effects of

Universities … outlive many political and social changes.

—J. B. Conant

Synonyms of outlive

• survive
• outlast

Examples of outlive in a Sentence

No mother wants to outlive her children.

He outlived his wife by 10 years.

Recent Examples on the Web

The assumed inference is that travelers rely on Google for their travel needs and that informative brochures and knowledgeable attendants are a quaint idea that has outlived its usefulness. — Frank Hosek, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

Researchers treat the mouth as a gateway to whole-body health, and people who keep their teeth into old age tend to outlive those who don’t. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026

Rather than being limited to 10 or 20 years, a true legacy can outlive your time on earth. — Scott Snider, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The reality is more complicated than that, particularly considering Kacyznski’s writing outlived his arrest. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing outlive

• outlive one's usefulness

Rhymes for outlive

• argive
• forgive
• ogive
• relive
• corroborative
• determinative
• germinative
• transformative
• give
• sieve
• resistive

Kids Definition

outlive

verb

out·​live (ˈ)au̇t-ˈliv 

: to live longer than : outlast