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lived

American  
[lahyvd, livd] / laɪvd, lɪvd /

adjective

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

    a many-lived cat.


-lived British  
/ -lɪvd /

adjective

  1. having or having had a life as specified

    short-lived

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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; life, -ed 3

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.

That has been understood to mean that people within the United States are subject to the laws here, except for foreign diplomats and, for a time, Native Americans who lived on tribal reservations.

From Los Angeles Times

The festival’s name is a cheeky play on Harry Potter’s nickname, “the boy who lived,” given to the character upon surviving a death curse.

From Los Angeles Times

Emily Taylor has lived in California for 20 years and has never gotten as many calls about rattlesnakes as she did last month.

From Los Angeles Times

Some Lebanese have lived the displacement and loss of land generation after generation.

From BBC

"If we lived in a healthier food environment, we might encourage people to have as much variety in their diet as possible," Hagerman said.

From Science Daily