outlive

[ out-liv ]

verb (used with object)

, out·lived, out·liv·ing.

1. to live longer than; survive (a person, period, etc.):

   She outlived her husband by many years.

2. to outlast; live or last through:

   The ship outlived the storm. He hopes to outlive the stigma of his imprisonment.

outlive

/ ˌaʊtˈlɪv /

verb

1. to live longer than (someone)
2. to live beyond (a date or period)

   he outlived the century

3. to live through (an experience)

Other Words From

• outliver noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of outlive¹

First recorded in 1425–75, outlive is from the late Middle English word outliven. See out-, live ¹

Synonym Study

See survive.

Example Sentences

When I was on a trip with my college friends years ago, we joked about how we should all live together if we outlive our husbands.

From Salon

Or this: You keep seeing headlines about melting ice caps — that the Arctic Ocean may be ice-free by 2050 — and you wonder, fleetingly, if you will outlive the polar bears.

From Los Angeles Times

Charley, an aging African elephant, had outlived other elephants at a South Africa zoo.

From Los Angeles Times

That, I think, is when I realized I was contributing to creating things that were going to outlive me someday.

From Los Angeles Times

The trouble is, when they outlive their usefulness, they become waste and end up polluting our oceans, rivers, soils and bodies.

From Los Angeles Times