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

Unfortunately, that process took 3 million years, meaning Lister outlived the crew of Red Dwarf… and the entire human race. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026

Americans fear outliving their savings as much as any other potential retirement setback, including failing health, according to research from the Transamerica Center. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026

Women, on average, live longer than men — a longevity gap that means many wives will outlive their husbands. —Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2026

Arnold said the liner at Ridgeland pool, which was built in 1962, has outlived its useful life. —Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 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