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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Based on their research, the scientists say at least two distinct night lizard lineages outlived the asteroid collision. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025 Mature companies often cling to what worked in the past; the leaders usually built their legacies on products and systems that have outlived their utility and should be disrupted. Bill Fischer, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 In a paper published on Tuesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers report that female baboons who have strong relationships with their father—as measured by the amount of time a father-daughter pair spent grooming each other and living together—tend to outlive those who don’t. Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 18 June 2025 Khamenei’s zealotry is very unlikely to outlive him in Iran’s highest echelons of power. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for outlive

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

Cite this Entry

“Outlive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outlive. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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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