living

[liv-ing]

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adjective

having life; being alive; not dead: living persons.

in actual existence or use; extant: living languages.

active or thriving; vigorous; strong: a living faith.

burning or glowing, as a coal.

flowing freely, as water.

pertaining to, suitable for, or sufficient for existence or subsistence: living conditions; a living wage.

of or relating to living persons: within living memory.

lifelike; true to life, as a picture or narrative.

in its natural state and place; not uprooted, changed, etc.: living rock.

Informal. very; absolute (used as an intensifier): You scared the living daylights out of me! He's making her life a living hell.

noun

the act or condition of a person or thing that lives: Living is very expensive these days.

the means of maintaining life; livelihood: to earn one's living.

a particular manner, state, or status of life: luxurious living.

(used with a plural verb) living persons collectively (usually preceded by the): glad to be among the living.

British. the benefice of a clergyman.

Nearby words

Origin of living

before 900; (adj.) Middle English lyvyng(e); replacing earlier liviende, Old English lifgende (see live¹, -ing²); (noun) Middle English living(e) (see -ing¹)

SYNONYMS FOR living

1. live, quick. 2. existing, surviving. 3. lively, flourishing. 12. sustenance, subsistence.

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ANTONYMS FOR living

1. dead.

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Related forms

liv·ing·ly, adverbliv·ing·ness, nounnon·liv·ing, adjective, nounqua·si-liv·ing, adjective

un·liv·ing, adjective

Synonym study

12. Living, livelihood, maintenance, support refer, directly or indirectly, to what is earned or spent for subsistence. Living and livelihood (a somewhat more formal word), both refer to what one earns to keep (oneself) alive, but are seldom interchangeable within the same phrase: to earn one's living; to seek one's livelihood. “To make a living” suggests making just enough to keep alive, and is particularly frequent in the negative: You cannot make a living out of that. “To make a livelihood out of something” suggests rather making a business of it: to make a livelihood out of trapping foxes. Maintenance and support refer usually to what is spent for the living of another: to provide for the maintenance or support of someone. Maintenance occasionally refers to the allowance itself provided for livelihood: They are entitled to a maintenance from this estate.

live

[liv]

verb (used without object), lived [livd] /lɪvd/, liv·ing.

to have life, as an organism; be alive; be capable of vital functions: all things that live.

to continue to have life; remain alive: to live to a ripe old age.

to continue in existence, operation, memory, etc.; last: a book that lives in my memory.

to maintain or support one's existence; provide for oneself: to live on one's income.

to feed or subsist (usually followed by on or upon): to live on rice and bananas.

to dwell or reside (usually followed by in, at, etc.): to live in a cottage.

to pass life in a specified manner: They lived happily ever after.

to direct or regulate one's life: to live by the golden rule.

to experience or enjoy to the full: At 40 she was just beginning to live.

to cohabit (usually followed by with).

to escape destruction or remain afloat, as a ship or aircraft.

verb (used with object), lived [livd] /lɪvd/, liv·ing.

to pass (life): to live a life of ease.

to practice, represent, or exhibit in one's life: to live one's philosophy.

Verb Phrases

live down, to live so as to allow (a mistake, disgrace, etc.) to be forgotten or forgiven: She'll never live that crucial moment of failure down.

live in/out, to reside at or away from the place of one's employment, especially as a domestic servant: Their butler lives in, but the maids live out.

live up to, to live in accordance with (expectations or an ideal or standard); measure up to: He never lived up to his father's vision of him.

Origin of live

before 900; Middle English liven, Old English lifian, libban; cognate with Dutch leven, German leben, Old Norse lifa, Gothic liban

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for living

Patrick Klugman, the deputy mayor of Paris, said: “We are living our kind of 9/11,” he said.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Last week I turned 40, a bittersweet occasion because I crossed the line to living longer without my mother than with her.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But as an American creating a new brand here, and living the daily life of the souk, he seems to be in a league of his own.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech|Liza Foreman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A single father, he had been living abroad and returned when his mother was diagnosed with cancer.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I first saw Marvin when I was ten years old, living with my parents in Arlington, Virginia.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
How can I go on as I am, a solitary curse to myself, a living disgrace to every one I come near!
The Personal History of David Copperfield |Charles Dickens
And under that rare sun all the little town, among its slag heaps and few tall chimneys, had an air of living faster.
The Complete Essays of John Galsworthy|John Galsworthy
You must have been through much darkness and living on now in a changed world.
The Letters of Henry James, Vol. II|Henry James
While the pioneers at the Old Port were on the verge of starvation, the 'Clonmel' men were living in luxury.
The Book of the Bush|George Dunderdale
Perhaps ancient kings of Lydia were once burned alive on pyres, 'as living embodiments of their god.'
Magic and Religion|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for living

living

adjective

possessing life; not dead
(as collective noun preceded by the)the living

having the characteristics of life (used esp to distinguish organisms from nonliving matter)

currently in use or validliving language

seeming to be reala living image

(of animals or plants) existing in the present age; extantCompare extinct (def. 1)

geology another word for live 2 (def. 15)

presented by actors before a live audienceliving theatre

(prenominal) (intensifier)the living daylights

noun

the condition of being alive

the manner in which one conducts one's lifefast living

the means, esp the financial means, whereby one lives

Church of England another term for benefice

(modifier) of, involving, or characteristic of everyday lifeliving area

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

live

verb (mainly intr)

to show the characteristics of life; be alive

to remain alive or in existence

to exist in a specified wayto live poorly

(usually foll by in or at) to reside or dwellto live in London

(often foll by on) to continue or lastthe pain still lives in her memory

(usually foll by by) to order one's life (according to a certain philosophy, religion, etc)

(foll by on, upon, or by) to support one's style of life; subsistto live by writing

(foll by with) to endure the effects (of a crime, mistake, etc)

(foll by through) to experience and survivehe lived through the war

(tr) to pass or spend (one's life, etc)

to enjoy life to the fullhe knows how to live

(tr) to put into practice in one's daily life; expresshe lives religion every day

live and let live to refrain from interfering in others' lives; to be tolerant

where one lives US informal in one's sensitive or defenceless position

Word Origin for live

Old English libban, lifian; related to Old High German libēn, Old Norse lifa

live

adjective

(prenominal) showing the characteristics of life

(usually prenominal) of, relating to, or abounding in lifethe live weight of an animal

(usually prenominal) of current interest; controversiala live issue

actuala real live cowboy

informal full of life and energy

(of a coal, ember, etc) glowing or burning

(esp of a volcano) not extinct

loaded or capable of explodinga live bomb

radio television transmitted or present at the time of performance, rather than being a recordinga live show

(of a record)

recorded in concert
recorded in one studio take, without overdubs or splicing

connected to a source of electric powera live circuit

(esp of a colour or tone) brilliant or splendid

acoustically reverberanta live studio

sport (of a ball) in play

(of rocks, ores, etc) not quarried or mined; native

being in a state of motion or transmitting power; positively connected to a driving member

printing

(of copy) not yet having been set into type
(of type that has been set) still in use

adverb

during, at, or in the form of a live performancethe show went out live

Word Origin for live

C16: from on live alive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for living

living

adj.

"alive," also "residing, staying," c.1200, from present participle of live (v.)).

living

"living persons," late Old English; early 14c. as "the fact of dwelling in some place," from Old English lifiende "that lives or has life," present participle of lifan (see live (v.)). The meaning "action, process, or method of gaining one's livelihood" is attested from c.1400.

live

Old English lifian (Anglian), libban (West Saxon) "to be, to live, have life; to experience," also "to supply oneself with food, to pass life (in some condition)," from Proto-Germanic *liben (cf. Old Norse lifa "to live, remain," Old Frisian libba, German leben, Gothic liban "to live"), from PIE root *leip- "to remain, continue" (cf. Greek liparein "to persist, persevere;" see leave). Meaning "to make a residence, dwell" is from c.1200. Related: Lived; living.

According to the Dutch Prouerbe ... Leuen ende laetan leuen, To liue and to let others liue. [Malynes, 1622]

To live it up "live gaily and extravagantly" is from 1903. To live up to "act in accordance with" is 1690s, from earlier live up "live on a high (moral or mental) level" (1680s). To live (something) down "outwear (some slander or embarrassment)" is from 1842. To live with "cohabit as husband and wife" is attested from 1749; sense of "to put up with" is attested from 1937. Expression live and learn is attested from c.1620.

live

adj.

1540s, "having life," later (1610s) "burning, glowing," a shortening of alive (q.v.). Sense of "containing unspent energy or power" (live ammunition, etc.) is from 1799. Meaning "in-person" (of performance) is first attested 1934. Live wire is attested from 1890; figurative sense of "active person" is from 1903.

Medicine definitions for living

live

[līv]

adj.

Having life; alive.

Capable of replicating in a host's cells.

Containing living microorganisms or viruses capable of replicating in a host's cells.

Idioms and Phrases with living

live

In addition to the idioms beginning with live

live and learn
live and let live
live by one's wits
live dangerously
live down
live for the moment
live from day to day
live from hand to mouth
live happily ever after
live high off the hog
live in
live in each other's pockets
live in sin
live it up
live like a king
live on
live on borrowed time
live on the edge
live out
live through
live together
live up to
live wire
live with

also see:

alive (live) and kicking
as I live and breathe
close to home (where one lives)
(live from) day to day
fat of the land, live off the
high off the hog, live
in one's pocket (live in each other's pockets)
learn to live with
people who live in glass houses

living

adjective

noun

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of living

Synonym study

live

verb (used without object), lived [livd] /lɪvd/, liv·ing.

verb (used with object), lived [livd] /lɪvd/, liv·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of live

Examples from the Web for living

living

adjective

noun

live

verb (mainly intr)

Word Origin for live

live

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for live

living

living

live

live

live

adj.

live