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

State Farm offers return-of-premium term insurance, which returns eligible premiums if the insured outlives the initial 20- or 30-year term and the policy requirements are met. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Archaeological evidence clearly shows that since large permanent settlements began to appear nearly ten millennia ago, most buildings simply outlived any one particular purpose, gradually accumulating alterations and new uses over time. — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

A lot of the crimes are committed on women who never receive any justice, but the science outlives what their bodies taught these early forensic investigators like Bell and Littlejohn. — ArsTechnica, 26 Oct. 2026

The sporty coupe and convertible lasted through 2012, long outliving its early stablemates, the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser. — Matt Degen, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 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