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

Examples of survive in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web Advertisement Salmon have survived droughts in California for millennia. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024 To feed her young, the female cicada killer will lay one egg in a cell filled with one to three cicadas, then seal the chamber, leaving enough food for the larvae to survive until pupation. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024 But the object Otero discovered in his home was part of the cargo and survived re-entry to Earth, NASA found. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 17 Apr. 2024 Those with wealth were able to survive a nuclear war in 2077 by taking refuge in bunkers purchased from a company known as Vault-Tec. Liz Kellar, The Courier-Journal, 17 Apr. 2024 The one-day event also commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, which serves as the guardian to more than 1,500 Czech Torahs that survived the Nazi occupation of the region and later the shuttering of synagogues under regimes that stifled the Jewish faith. Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register, 17 Apr. 2024 Neither demonized nor redeemed, these characters mostly end up dead or in prison, and even those who survive are haunted by misunderstandings, feuds, and mistakes. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024 The county’s commissioners and the sheriff’s department didn’t respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News on April 16. ‘Would have likely survived’ A lung infection like pneumonia is one of the common causes of sepsis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024 County lawyers defending a civil claim brought by Serna’s surviving family members objected to allowing the public to see the video of Serna slumping to her death inside her Las Colinas women’s jail cell in 2019. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024

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 23 Apr. 2024.

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

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