survival

noun

sur·​viv·​al sər-ˈvī-vəl 

often attributive

1

a

: the act or fact of living or continuing longer than another person or thing

b

: the continuation of life or existence

problems of survival in arctic conditions

2

: one that survives

Examples of survival in a Sentence

The refugees depend on foreign aid for their survival.

Small businesses are fighting for survival.

the survival of an old folktale

Recent Examples on the Web

After Survivor, Wesson built a cabin in the woods of North Carolina, occasionally teaching survival classes. —Ale Russian, People.com, 22 May 2025

Even some profoundly autistic children can master survival basics with as little as eight hours of aquatic occupational therapy, said Michele Alaniz, a practitioner who published research based on her work at Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare in Pomona, California. —Jennifer Peltz, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 May 2025

Researchers compared tropical wind field data with more than 1.6 million infant survival records. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 21 May 2025

These adaptations — due to structural and functional differences in two types of proteins — demonstrate that the microbe has developed mechanisms to aid survival in the extremes of the space environment, according to the paper. —Andrew Jones, Space.com, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing survival

• chance of survival
• survival instinct
• survival mechanism
• survival of the fittest

Rhymes for survival

• archival
• arrival
• revival
• conjunctival
• rival
• subconjunctival

Kids Definition

survival

noun

sur·​viv·​al sər-ˈvī-vəl 

1

: the act or fact of living or continuing longer than another person or thing

survival of half the population after the epidemic

2

: a continuation of life despite difficult conditions

skills for survival in the desert

3

: one that survives