lived

[lahyvd, livd]

adjective

1. having life, a life, or lives, as specified (usually used in combination).

   a many-lived cat.

-lived

/ -lɪvd /

adjective

1. having or having had a life as specified

   short-lived

Pronunciation Note

Lived, meaning “having a certain kind or extent of life,” is not derived from the preterit and past participle of the verb live , but from the noun life , to which the suffix -ed has been added. The original pronunciation, therefore, and one still heard, is , which retains the vowel (ī) of life. Since the f of life changes to v with the addition of this suffix, as when leaf becomes leaved, this lived is identical in spelling with the preterit and past participle lived, and conflation of the two has led to the increasingly frequent pronunciation of this lived as in such combinations as long-lived and short-lived. Both pronunciations are considered standard.

Other Word Forms

• half-lived adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lived¹

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; life, -ed ³

Example Sentences

When the horrors surrounding the murder of toddler Ethan Ives-Griffiths came to light, details of the violent household he lived in, did not surprise everyone.

From BBC

The BBC understands Murray, who lived in Kent, died in Rochester.

From BBC

Although she did not realise it at the time, Emma, who lived in Kent but has since moved to Essex, was in the grip of coercive or controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship.

From BBC

Goodall later said that raising Grub, who lived at Gombe until he was 9, gave her insights into the behavior of chimp mothers.

From Los Angeles Times

Many have lived in the neighborhood, with its neat lawns and single-family homes, for decades.

From Los Angeles Times