living
Americanadjective
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having life; being alive; not dead.
living persons.
- Antonyms:
- dead
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in actual existence or use; extant.
living languages.
-
active or thriving; vigorous; strong.
a living faith.
- Synonyms:
- flourishing, lively
-
burning or glowing, as a coal.
-
flowing freely, as water.
-
pertaining to, suitable for, or sufficient for existence or subsistence.
living conditions; a living wage.
-
of or relating to living persons.
within living memory.
-
lifelike; true to life, as a picture or narrative.
-
in its natural state and place; not uprooted, changed, etc..
living rock.
-
Informal. very; absolute (used as an intensifier).
You scared the living daylights out of me!
He's making her life a living hell.
noun
-
the act or condition of a person or thing that lives.
Living is very expensive these days.
-
the means of maintaining life; livelihood.
to earn one's living.
- Synonyms:
- subsistence, sustenance
-
a particular manner, state, or status of life.
luxurious living.
-
(used with a plural verb) Usually the living living persons collectively.
glad to be back among the living.
-
British. the benefice of a member of the clergy.
adjective
-
-
possessing life; not dead
-
( as collective noun preceded by the )
the living
-
-
having the characteristics of life (used esp to distinguish organisms from nonliving matter)
-
currently in use or valid
living language
-
seeming to be real
a living image
-
(of animals or plants) existing in the present age; extant Compare extinct
-
geology another word for live 2
-
presented by actors before a live audience
living theatre
-
(prenominal) (intensifier)
the living daylights
noun
-
the condition of being alive
-
the manner in which one conducts one's life
fast living
-
the means, esp the financial means, whereby one lives
-
Church of England another term for benefice
-
(modifier) of, involving, or characteristic of everyday life
living area
-
(modifier) of or involving those now alive (esp in the phrase living memory )
Usage
What are other ways to say living?
A person’s living is their means of maintaining life. How is this term different from livelihood and maintenance? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- livingly adverb
- livingness noun
- nonliving adjective
- quasi-living adjective
- unliving adjective
Etymology
Origin of living
First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective lyvyng(e); replacing earlier liviende, Old English lifgende ( live 1, -ing 2 ); Middle English noun living(e) ( -ing 1 )
Explanation
Someone who's living is alive. You might talk about your living grandparents to distinguish them from the ones who died before you were born. When you talk about animals and people, you can call them living beings. and you can also use this adjective to mean "used" or "active," like a living language that continues to be spoken. As a noun, living means the state of being alive or "enough money to live." You might say, for example, that you write poetry for fun, but you work cleaning hotel rooms to earn a living.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Poor living conditions in Bangladesh however have also prompted some Rohingya to make precarious journeys on overcrowded vessels to Malaysia, a Muslim country which some envision to be a safe haven in the region.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
And it’s a living, breathing reminder of a tenant that’s been a part of Halsey’s work from the jump: An architectural monument only becomes truly meaningful when people can see a space for themselves there.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
“Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures,” he said in a statement on X.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
People who need long-term care often need help with activities of daily living such as bathing or showering, getting dressed, using the toilet or walking across a room.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
She was still going when I returned to the living room, four mugs of steaming cocoa in my hands.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
