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

Most people with dogs will outlive their pets and will eventually have to confront canine medical problems. —David L. Weimer, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026

The Italian fashion powerhouse has secured his dream of making a lasting impact, outliving Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. —Jye Marshall, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026

Nobody wants to outlive their child. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026

Maybe there can be no redemption for the Weeknd; maybe no one will remember his death; maybe his glimmering grinning guilt will outlive anything else Abel Tesfaye makes. —Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 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

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

Kids Definition

outlive

verb

out·​live (ˈ)au̇t-ˈliv 

: to live longer than : outlast