survival

noun

sur·​viv·​al sər-ˈvī-vəl 

often attributive

1

a

: the act or fact of living or continuing longer than another person or thing

b

: the continuation of life or existence

problems of survival in arctic conditions

2

: one that survives

Examples of survival in a Sentence

The refugees depend on foreign aid for their survival.

Small businesses are fighting for survival.

the survival of an old folktale

Recent Examples on the Web

But many Chicanos trace their lineage to indigenous peoples who survived Spanish colonization, often carrying mixed indigenous, Spanish, and other ancestries, a testament to survival and cultural fusion. —David Alvarado, Time, 15 Dec. 2025

The night, Tretta said, carried brutal familiarity and proof that survival offers no immunity. —Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025

Different stories of grooming, coercion and survival get reduced to a single faceless category. —Stephanie A, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025

By dropping most of its 'survival-crafting online game' pretense and embracing the 'Fallout online' angle fans wanted in the first place. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing survival

• chance of survival
• survival instinct
• survival mechanism
• survival of the fittest

Rhymes for survival

• archival
• arrival
• revival
• conjunctival
• rival
• subconjunctival

Kids Definition

survival

noun

sur·​viv·​al sər-ˈvī-vəl 

1

: the act or fact of living or continuing longer than another person or thing

survival of half the population after the epidemic

2

: a continuation of life despite difficult conditions

skills for survival in the desert

3

: one that survives