long-lived

American  

[lawng-lahyvd, -livd, long-] / ˈlɔŋˈlaɪvd, -ˈlɪvd, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

1. having a long life, existence, or duration.

   a long-lived man; long-lived fame.

2. (of an object) lasting or functioning a long time.

   a long-lived battery.

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long-lived British  

adjective

1. having long life, existence, or currency

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Other Word Forms

• long-livedness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of long-lived

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at long ¹, lived

Explanation

Long-lived things have been around for a very long time. By the smell of your couch, you may want to describe it as long-lived. You can describe people who live to be quite old as long-lived: "All the men in my family are remarkably long-lived." It's also a good word for talking about inanimate objects that keep working for a long time, or even ideas that stick around: "His childhood plan to join the circus turned out to be long-lived — it was still his dream at the age of 35."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

long-lived

Tissue resident macrophages are unusually long-lived cells that settle into organs during fetal development.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

Here’s a brief compendium of some of those appearances, forgotten or well-remembered, in series short- or long-lived.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Garden designer Ann-Marie Powell created test beds of long-lived plants happy in high temperatures, including Siskiyou Pink plants, native to the southern United States.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

My wife’s female relatives, however, have generally been quite long-lived, often living into their 90s while retaining clear minds.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Lawrence granted him priority access to both the thirty-seven-inch and sixty-inch cyclotrons for a “systematic and energetic campaign” to find long-lived radioactive isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, or oxygen, with carbon-14 the main quarry.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• durable
• long-lasting