lived

American  

[lahyvd, livd] / laɪvd, lɪvd /

adjective

1. having life, a life, or lives, as specified (usually used in combination).

   a many-lived cat.

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-lived British  

/ -lɪvd /

adjective

1. having or having had a life as specified

   short-lived

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Pronunciation

Lived, meaning “having a certain kind or extent of life,” is not derived from the preterit and past participle of the verb live , but from the noun life , to which the suffix -ed has been added. The original pronunciation, therefore, and one still heard, is , which retains the vowel (ī) of life. Since the f of life changes to v with the addition of this suffix, as when leaf becomes leaved, this lived is identical in spelling with the preterit and past participle lived, and conflation of the two has led to the increasingly frequent pronunciation of this lived as in such combinations as long-lived and short-lived. Both pronunciations are considered standard.

Other Word Forms

• half-lived adjective

Etymology

Origin of lived

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at life, -ed ³

Example Sentences

I previously lived in New York City for about a year and in San Francisco for five and a half years.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Islamabad residents are used to restrictions and road closures, having lived through periods of militant attacks, political protests and visits by heads of state.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

The site has now yielded evidence of a distinct group of Neanderthals, offering a rare glimpse into how these ancient humans may have lived together.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

After the war, he moved to Walsall, where he lived a large part of his adult life, and got married.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

She had always encouraged me to make friends with people my own age, even if they lived in my phone or video game.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows