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:
The iPhone’s live-in assistant now relies, in part, on Google’s Gemini models to answer questions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
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
In Phnom Penh, we had live-in housekeepers to do just about everything for us.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
"I think that Noah will live in the memory of everybody," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
We all live in a society where we’re trying to live and survive and participate,” said Crawford.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
Then he would go on Medicaid and live in a studio apartment at the same good place I have found for him, which is not too far from where I live.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
We live in a golden age of idiocy and confrontation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
So I decided just to live in the moment and ask questions later.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
