living

American  

[liv-ing] / ˈlɪv ɪŋ /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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 )

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of living

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 )

Explanation

Someone who's living is alive. You might talk about your living grandparents to distinguish them from the ones who died before you were born. When you talk about animals and people, you can call them living beings. and you can also use this adjective to mean "used" or "active," like a living language that continues to be spoken. As a noun, living means the state of being alive or "enough money to live." You might say, for example, that you write poetry for fun, but you work cleaning hotel rooms to earn a living.

Example Sentences

Poor living conditions in Bangladesh however have also prompted some Rohingya to make precarious journeys on overcrowded vessels to Malaysia, a Muslim country which some envision to be a safe haven in the region.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures,” he said in a statement on X.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

Certainly, there is ample room for the family in the townhome, which spreads across more than 7,800 square feet, including five bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and multiple living spaces.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

"We can study animals living natural lives, with natural diets and gut bacteria, while still being able to collect detailed data from known individuals."

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

This house is too squat; I pictured Charles living in a ramshackle place a hundred years old, the type of location where knobs are always coming off bannisters in people’s hands.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• existence
• income
• job
• livelihood