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
In embracing those tools, Pritzker, an establishment Democrat who didn’t exactly begin his career as an influencer has come to represent what’s basically an inevitable evolutionary battle for political survival.
—
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Captives of a human trafficking ring, their fight for survival turns even more desperate when a violent storm hurls their container into the ocean.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
There is precedent for survival, as when Temple reinvented herself entirely to become a Republican fund-raiser and, later, an Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Ella, 25, has joined the cast of survival thriller Black Tides, in production now.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survival
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Ben Smith, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Captives of a human trafficking ring, their fight for survival turns even more desperate when a violent storm hurls their container into the ocean.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
There is precedent for survival, as when Temple reinvented herself entirely to become a Republican fund-raiser and, later, an Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Ella, 25, has joined the cast of survival thriller Black Tides, in production now.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survival
Cite this Entry
“Survival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survival. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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