living

[ liv-ing ]

adjective

1. having life; being alive; not dead:

   living persons.

   Synonyms: live, quick

   Antonyms: dead

2. in actual existence or use; extant:

   living languages.

3. active or thriving; vigorous; strong:

   a living faith.

   Synonyms: flourishing, lively

4. burning or glowing, as a coal.
5. flowing freely, as water.
6. pertaining to, suitable for, or sufficient for existence or subsistence:

   living conditions; a living wage.

7. of or relating to living persons:

   within living memory.

8. lifelike; true to life, as a picture or narrative.
9. in its natural state and place; not uprooted, changed, etc.:

   living rock.

10. Informal. very; absolute (used as an intensifier):

    You scared the living daylights out of me!

    He's making her life a living hell.

noun

1. the act or condition of a person or thing that lives:

   Living is very expensive these days.

2. the means of maintaining life; livelihood:

   to earn one's living.

   Synonyms: subsistence, sustenance

3. a particular manner, state, or status of life:

   luxurious living.

4. Usually the living. (used with a plural verb) living persons collectively:

   glad to be back among the living.

5. British. the benefice of a member of the clergy.

living

/ ˈlɪvɪŋ /

adjective

1. 1. possessing life; not dead
   2. ( as collective noun preceded by the )

      the living

2. having the characteristics of life (used esp to distinguish organisms from nonliving matter)
3. currently in use or valid

   living language

4. seeming to be real

   a living image

5. (of animals or plants) existing in the present age; extant Compare extinct
6. geology another word for live 2
7. presented by actors before a live audience

   living theatre

8. prenominal (intensifier)

   the living daylights

noun

1. the condition of being alive
2. the manner in which one conducts one's life

   fast living

3. the means, esp the financial means, whereby one lives
4. Church of England another term for benefice
5. modifier of, involving, or characteristic of everyday life

   living area

6. modifier of or involving those now alive (esp in the phrase living memory )

Other Words From

• living·ly adverb
• living·ness noun
• non·living adjective noun
• quasi-living adjective
• un·living adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of living¹

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 )

Example Sentences

At the time, the nurse she was impersonating was living out of state in New York, prosecutors said.

From Los Angeles Times

The high cost of living was one of the key issues for many voters.

From BBC

The number of people living below the poverty line in Sri Lanka has risen to 25.9% in the past four years.

From BBC

If we can agree that Disneyland is, unlike a film or a television series, a living environment — a place born of one era but striving to be welcoming to subsequent generations — then it stands to reason that its attractions must change with the times.

From Los Angeles Times

To be sure, stunting has decreased across social groups - a separate 2022 study found that improvements in health and nutrition interventions, household living conditions and maternal factors led to reduction in stunting in four Indian states.

From BBC

Related Words

• breathing
• contemporary