outlive

verb

out·​live ˌau̇t-ˈliv How to pronounce outlive (audio)
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 changesJ. B. Conant

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 Henry died prior to 1883, having outlived six of his children, and has not appeared in the series. Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023 Jacob Dutton Harrison Ford takes on the patriarch role of Jacob in 1923, who outlives his brother James Dutton and sister Claire Dutton. Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023 Barker outlived his two veteran announcers, Olsen, who died in 1985, and Rod Roddy, who died in 2003. Olivia Barker, USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2023 Putinism has a chance to outlive Putin, but Russian history, including the history of Stalinism, shows that as soon as an autocrat disappears, a new era of liberalization can begin. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023 But the Jesuits have outlived their usefulness to the 77-year-old tyrant. Mary Anastasia O’Grady, WSJ, 3 Sep. 2023 His two-wheel record almost outlived him, lasting until 1930, the year of his death at 52. Elana Scherr, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 People with diabetes who took the drug, which costs about $20 for 60 tablets, outlived people who did not have diabetes and did not take the drug, according to a study. Karina Zaiets, USA TODAY, 28 Aug. 2023 But Frank’s death yanks Dickie back to his parochial small town, where the guilt of outliving his brother ignites an internalized homophobia. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outlive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outlive was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near outlive

Cite this Entry

“Outlive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlive. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

outlive

verb
out·​live (ˈ)au̇t-ˈliv How to pronounce outlive (audio)
: to live longer than : outlast

More from Merriam-Webster on outlive

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