outlive
Americanverb (used with object)
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to live longer than; survive (a person, period, etc.).
She outlived her husband by many years.
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to outlast; live or last through.
The ship outlived the storm. He hopes to outlive the stigma of his imprisonment.
verb
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to live longer than (someone)
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to live beyond (a date or period)
he outlived the century
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to live through (an experience)
Related Words
See survive.
Other Word Forms
- outliver noun
Etymology
Origin of outlive
First recorded in 1425–75, outlive is from the late Middle English word outliven. See out-, live 1
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.
I will uphold his wishes, but if I outlive him and there’s no agreement in place, I would likely give little to nothing to his children because they are irresponsible spendthrifts.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
But Iran’s state apparatus was built to outlive individual leaders, thanks to layered and overlapping centers of political and military power.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
"Billy Steinberg's life was a testament to the enduring power of a well-written song - and to the idea that honesty, when set to music, can outlive us all," the family's statement read.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
They will create an organizational structure designed to outlive Rhodes.
From Salon • Dec. 30, 2025
“And she’ll outlive us all, little tiny thing that she is.”
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
