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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Another survivor, who endured a 30-day ordeal in late 2024, said he suspected collusion "at a much higher level".
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
What happens if someone later becomes disabled, or leaves behind a spouse — or even a divorced spouse — who qualifies for survivor benefits?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Shortly after, Sheinbaum announced that Mexico’s navy had been deployed from Acapulco in the ultimately unsuccessful search for a survivor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Whenever we watch a silent film, it is helpful to remember that we are encountering an extraordinary survivor, for the vast majority of them are lost forever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Rough years then lie between you and your homecoming, alone and old, the one survivor, all companions lost.’
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
According to these survivors, though, it will also require something far more basic: going to the ballot box.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain, who was at the event on Tuesday, said the government would support survivors who require further medical treatment.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The documentary focuses on three “real Romans,” asking whether they might have been among the survivors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
And Zubaida Rahman, the wife of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, hailed the courage shown by survivors as "a source of inspiration for the nation".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Cheesethief sniggered to himself as the survivors disappeared into the night, carrying Cluny on the plank.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
