survivor
Americannoun
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a person or thing that survives.
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Law. the one of two or more designated persons, as joint tenants or others having a joint interest, who outlives the other or others.
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a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks.
noun
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a person or thing that survives
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property law one of two or more specified persons having joint interests in property who lives longer than the other or others and thereby becomes entitled to the whole property
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of survivor
Explanation
A survivor is someone who hasn't died: the word is used often about people who have been through a horrible experience, like a plane crash. Cancer survivors and Holocaust survivors have one thing in common: they lived through horrible ordeals and are still with us. The TV show "Survivor" made this word feel a little less weighty, but it still packs a punch. Anytime something horrible happens — like a car crash or an epidemic — you'll hear about the survivors. Some survivors may feel they are just lucky, but many survivors take pride in being strong enough to survive.
Vocabulary lists containing survivor
Words from "The Avengers"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
He, like Karasira, was a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and critic of the ruling RPF party.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
It will feature the stories of six talented soccer players, including Max Wozniak, a Holocaust survivor who helped develop the American Youth Soccer Organization.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
The second complicating factor: My mom is a three-time breast cancer survivor, which puts my risk higher than the average woman’s.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
The New York settlement would funnel funds into a survivor trust and allow individual compensation to be determined through tiered evaluations, with reported averages varying widely depending on severity and documentation.
From Salon • May 3, 2026
As a three-year survivor of Stage IV cancer, I can tell you that you got everything right in An Imperial Affliction.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
