live on
Idioms-
Be financially supported by, subsist on, as in His pension is too small to live on . [Mid-1600s]
-
Continue to survive, especially unexpectedly, as in They thought the cancer would kill her, but Lucy lived on for another twenty years .
-
Remain in human memory, as in This book will live on long after the author's death .
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.
Joe Sucksmith, Unison's convenor at the university, described the pay offer as insulting and said members "cannot afford to live" on the wage being offered.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Perhaps she’s worried that he won’t have enough to live on in his later years.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Coachella will also be streamed live on YouTube.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Until then, HIV advocates will have to live on hope.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
“They’d have to be unusual wolves, to live on a tropical island. It’s all quite strange. Let’s see what happens next.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
