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Synonyms

live-in

American  
[liv-in] / ˈlɪvˌɪn /

adjective

  1. Also residing at the place of one's employment.

    a live-in maid.

  2. living in a cohabitant relationship.

noun

  1. a live-in person.

live in British  
/ lɪv /

verb

  1. (of an employee, as in a hospital or hotel) to dwell at one's place of employment

"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

adjective

  1. living in the place at which one works

    a live-in maid

  2. living with someone else in that person's home

    a live-in lover
"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
live in Idioms  

  1. Reside in one's place of employment or schooling, as in They wanted a baby-sitter who could live in , or Joe was planning to live in at the college . This expression is used primarily for domestic servants or students. [Late 1800s] Also see live out .

  2. live in something . Continue in existence, memory, or some feeling. This sense appears in such phrases as live in the past , meaning “to concentrate on past memories,” or live in hope of , meaning “to continue anticipating that something will happen.” For example, Alice lived in the past; she had no interest in current events , or Jim lived in hope of getting a teaching post . Also see live in sin .

Etymology

Origin of live-in

1950–55; adj., noun use of verb phrase live in ( a place )

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.

In the latest census, a couple in a live-in relationship can be recorded as married if they consider their "relationship as a stable union" - signalling a quiet shift towards recognising changing social realities.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

He and his live-in girlfriend mingled their finances.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

George Koenig owned a home-care agency, which charged families for hourly or live-in care, for two decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 4, 2025

Meanwhile, his live-in girlfriend at the time had to pay all their bills.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2025

Her mother and Shinae eonni, their live-in maid, were busy cleaning up.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

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.