living

[liv-ing]

adjective

1. having life; being alive; not dead.

   living persons.

   Synonyms: quick, live
   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. (used with a plural verb),  Usually the living 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

• livingly adverb
• livingness noun
• nonliving adjective
• quasi-living adjective
• unliving 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

She is living in a rented garage, struggling each day to find food and clean water, and has been displaced multiple times.

From BBC

Contrary to popular belief, Julius Caesar was not the first living leader to put his portrait on a coin.

From Salon

His gestures, his anger, his resistance all emerge from living in a context that demands he smile while being insulted.

From BBC

“And it’s sad that people just don’t care about another living thing because they think it doesn’t belong there.”

From Los Angeles Times

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care added it was "committed to ensuring people living with cerebral palsy get the right support throughout their lives".

From BBC

Related Words

• existence 
• income 
• job 
• livelihood 

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.