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.
Women are statistically more likely to outlive their husbands. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025 The pair abducted Lee to make amends, and Allen killed them for outliving their usefulness, which was minimal anyway. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025 Samuel Adams also outlived his. Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025 If the spouse with the lower amount outlives the higher earner, the surviving spouse will receive the higher benefit. Medora Lee, USA Today, 5 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!