survive

verb

sur·​vive sər-ˈvīv How to pronounce survive (audio)
survived; surviving

intransitive verb

1
: to remain alive or in existence : live on
2
: to continue to function or prosper

transitive verb

1
: to remain alive after the death of
he is survived by his wife
2
: to continue to exist or live after
survived the earthquake
3
: to continue to function or prosper despite : withstand
they survived many hardships
survivor noun

Example Sentences

I don't see how any creature can survive under those conditions. bacteria that survive in extreme temperatures Only a few written records survive from those times. These ancient practices still survive in some regions. Some of the original bridges survive. Many businesses are struggling to survive in today's economy. Only his son survived him. She survived her husband by only a few years. He survived a political scandal and was elected to the state legislature. The company survived the recession. See More
Recent Examples on the Web The driver of the other car reportedly survived the crash but was hospitalized with severe injuries. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023 The bill survived two rounds of debate by a single vote. Colby Itkowitz, Washington Post, 17 May 2023 Two other roommates survived the stabbing, one of whom saw a masked figure in the house. Nadine El-bawab, ABC News, 17 May 2023 In warm climates, lantana may survive winter and become a small shrub. Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 17 May 2023 Hatton survives a marathon opening round and grabs a 4-3 win over Lamar County. al, 16 May 2023 Primatologists know that males can survive into their late 30s and females into their mid-40s. Stacy Rosenbaum, Fortune Well, 15 May 2023 The couple had one child, Karel van der Pluym, who is thought to have trained with Rembrandt and included the artist’s only surviving heir, Titus, in his will. Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 15 May 2023 From there a spirited crowd of 12,969 saw the Wave survive several close calls. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'survive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to outlive, from Anglo-French survivre, from Latin supervivere, from super- + vivere to live — more at quick entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of survive was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near survive

Cite this Entry

“Survive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survive. Accessed 10 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

survive

verb
sur·​vive sər-ˈvīv How to pronounce survive (audio)
survived; surviving
1
: to remain alive : continue to exist
2
: to remain alive after the death of
survived by three children
3
: to continue to exist or live after
survived the flood
survivor noun

Medical Definition

survive

verb
sur·​vive sər-ˈvīv How to pronounce survive (audio)
survived; surviving

intransitive verb

: to remain alive or in existence : live on

transitive verb

1
: to remain alive after the death of
his son survived him
2
: to continue to exist or live after
survived the stroke
survival noun
survivor noun

More from Merriam-Webster on survive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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