living 1 of 3

adjective

ˈli-viŋ How to pronounce living (audio)
Definition of livingnext
1
as in operating
being in effective operation a living tradition of the holiday season a living culture that has survived a number of foreign invasions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in existing
having being at the present time there are fewer than a dozen living former presidents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in breathing
having or showing life is your hamster still living?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in realistic
closely resembling the object imitated an outdoor museum that is a living re-creation of a typical New England village circa 1840

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

living

2 of 3

noun

as in livelihood

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

living

3 of 3

verb

present participle of live
1
as in residing
to have a home he lives next door to the hospital

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in being
to have life Socrates was a philosopher who lived in ancient Greece

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of living
Adjective
For Dinat, one of the few with living memories of the ’56 march, the lesson hasn’t changed in 70 years. — Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 While plastic borders have gained popularity over the years for their practicality, many gardeners are now gravitating towards living borders consisting of plants, which offer a more natural look and can provide additional benefits, such as habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 19 June 2026
Noun
As a young man, Francisco traversed it on horseback, eking out a living by draining resin from the towering pines. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Even in the Ocala area, where living costs can be lower than other parts of Florida, the math is difficult. — Jay Reddick, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
European Inspiration Tuscan kitchens, French country living rooms, and English cottage gardens were all big hits with moms in the 1990s. — Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2026 There’s seldom a season when a play by Ken Ludwig, one of the most popular living American playwrights, can’t be found on a Connecticut stage. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for living
Recent Examples of Synonyms for living
  1. operating
  2. existing
  3. alive
  4. realistic
  5. livelihood
  6. residing
  7. operational
  8. extant
Adjective
  • That sits on the books of the league’s 32 Equity investment arm, and 1/32 of any gains or losses in the entity flow through the Packers’ non-operating income.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026
  • True, some if the upside surprise has come from non-operating gains on holdings in huge, private AI pioneers, but not all of it.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 2 June 2026
Definition of operating
Adjective
  • This investigation will merge with a pre-existing investigation into other donations to the party, the Met added.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Cosmetic repairs, oil changes and tune-ups are also usually excluded, as are pre-existing issues and damage resulting from accidents, misuse, neglect or improper maintenance.
    — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of existing
Adjective
  • The man, a Chinese national, was rescued from a hydropower tunnel, according to a social media post from the prime minister’s office, bringing to three the number of workers pulled alive from the Trishuli hydropower project.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
  • To stay alive, Lino must attend Communion every week at Father Joe’s Church on 118th Street, where he will be given a temporary antidote.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of alive
Adjective
  • There was a lot of work on the medical cases to make the investigations complex and realistic, but there was also an entry point built around a strong, funny, unpleasant character, completely at odds with her return to her roots.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • To be a realistic contender, the defense has to be much better.
    — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of realistic
Noun
  • The report estimated that 43,000 are at immediate risk of food insecurity due to little reliable access to supplies or loss of livelihood assets.
    — Kosh Raj Koirala, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The unrelenting dryness has brought hardship upon cattle ranchers, who say their livelihoods increasingly are under threat.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of livelihood
Verb
  • The mascots have since been raised and cared for by the Stokes family, with the current Tusk residing at the family farm near Dardanelle.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The programs may look different from campus to campus, with some mascots living with their handlers as family pets, others residing in campus habitats or on private farms, and some receiving daily care from veterinary teams and student caretakers.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of residing
Adjective
  • Keeping that infrastructure operational requires more than maintaining the missiles themselves.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, the operational organization of a sports car racing alliance needs to be built on a solid base business to support its efforts on track.
    — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of operational
Adjective
  • But more often, the new institution ends up competing with its still extant predecessor.
    — Jennifer Pahlka, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Thus far this century, several fundamental changes in the healthcare system have succeeded in getting passed in Congress, perhaps in part due to their working more or less within the confines of an extant system.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of extant

Browse Nearby Words

lividness
living
livings
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Cite this Entry

“Living.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/living. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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