adjective
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The resulting material exhibited strong luminescence, long-lived excited states, and highly effective energy transfer.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
The variant appeared in two long-lived families included in the study.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026
While conventional nuclear plants split heavy atoms in a process called fission, fusion does the opposite: It combines light atomic nuclei into heavier ones, releasing enormous energy without greenhouse-gas emissions or long-lived radioactive waste.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
If it works, it could provide potentially limitless electricity without greenhouse gases or long-lived radioactive waste.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
Parrots are known to be long-lived, and among all the world’s birds, African Greys are best at imitating human speech.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
