living

[ liv-ing ]

adjective

1. having life; being alive; not dead:

   living persons.

   Synonyms: live, quick

   Antonyms: dead

2. in actual existence or use; extant:

   living languages.

3. active or thriving; vigorous; strong:

   a living faith.

   Synonyms: flourishing, lively

4. burning or glowing, as a coal.
5. flowing freely, as water.
6. pertaining to, suitable for, or sufficient for existence or subsistence:

   living conditions; a living wage.

7. of or relating to living persons:

   within living memory.

8. lifelike; true to life, as a picture or narrative.
9. in its natural state and place; not uprooted, changed, etc.:

   living rock.

10. Informal. very; absolute (used as an intensifier):

    You scared the living daylights out of me!

    He's making her life a living hell.

noun

1. the act or condition of a person or thing that lives:

   Living is very expensive these days.

2. the means of maintaining life; livelihood:

   to earn one's living.

   Synonyms: subsistence, sustenance

3. a particular manner, state, or status of life:

   luxurious living.

4. Usually the living. (used with a plural verb) living persons collectively:

   glad to be back among the living.

5. British. the benefice of a member of the clergy.

living

/ ˈlɪvɪŋ /

adjective

1. 1. possessing life; not dead
   2. ( as collective noun preceded by the )

      the living

2. having the characteristics of life (used esp to distinguish organisms from nonliving matter)
3. currently in use or valid

   living language

4. seeming to be real

   a living image

5. (of animals or plants) existing in the present age; extant Compare extinct
6. geology another word for live 2
7. presented by actors before a live audience

   living theatre

8. prenominal (intensifier)

   the living daylights

noun

1. the condition of being alive
2. the manner in which one conducts one's life

   fast living

3. the means, esp the financial means, whereby one lives
4. Church of England another term for benefice
5. modifier of, involving, or characteristic of everyday life

   living area

6. modifier of or involving those now alive (esp in the phrase living memory )

Other Word Forms

• living·ly adverb
• living·ness noun
• non·living adjective noun
• quasi-living adjective
• un·living adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of living¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective lyvyng(e); replacing earlier liviende, Old English lifgende ( live ¹, -ing ² ); Middle English noun living(e) ( -ing ¹ )

Example Sentences

We really felt that limb-different folks with prosthetics have been living with technology much longer than able-bodied people have been, and we have a lot to learn from them.

From Los Angeles Times

Kardash, a Russian-born photographer now living in Germany, reflects on the loss of home and the pain of loving those who see the world differently.

From BBC

A race to lower prices could help households who are still struggling with the cost of living at a time when bills, such as energy and water, are increasing.

From BBC

The guitarist supposedly released a pair of the birds into the wild while living in Carnaby Street in London in the1960s.

From BBC

He is now living alongside hundreds of other people in a school that is being used as a shelter.

From BBC

Related Words

• breathing
• contemporary

When To Use

What are other ways to say living?

A person’s living is their means of maintaining life. How is this term different from livelihood and maintenance? Find out on Thesaurus.com.