live-in
adjective
Also residing at the place of one's employment.
live-in
American
[liv-in]
/ ˈlɪvˌɪn /
adjective
-
Also residing at the place of one's employment.
a live-in maid.
-
living in a cohabitant relationship.
noun
live in
British
/ lɪv /
verb
adjective
-
living in the place at which one works
a live-in maid
-
living with someone else in that person's home
a live-in lover
live in
Idioms
-
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 .
-
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.
See Examples For:
In 2023, she was struggling financially, and she and her live-in boyfriend were experiencing increasing strain in their relationship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Iwamasa had known Perry since around 1992 and became his live-in assistant in 2022, according to prosecutors.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
The live-in personal assistant to Friends star Matthew Perry has been sentenced to 41 months in prison, capping a multi-year legal saga surrounding the actor's death.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
He and his live-in girlfriend mingled their finances.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 18, 2026
During the summer break from school, the Gobles worked as live-in help for a New York family that summered in Virginias Blue Ridge Mountains.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
"Everyone should be able to live in peace and without fear of the government coming down on them for simply having nowhere else to go – again."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The task for advisers is guiding bettors to balance their desire to live in the here-and-now with an appreciation of how present decisions can affect them years from now.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
“You get locals who live in this area who probably hate it, but on the other hand, why are you living in Soho if you’re going to complain about the noise?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
One Orthodox protester, engaged in a shouting match with a counter-demonstrator, said he had chosen to live in a religious area.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Cannibals are real,” she replied cautiously, “but there are no cannibals in England. Cannibals live in faraway places.”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
