outlive
Americanverb (used with object)
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to live longer than; survive (a person, period, etc.).
She outlived her husband by many years.
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to outlast; live or last through.
The ship outlived the storm. He hopes to outlive the stigma of his imprisonment.
verb
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to live longer than (someone)
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to live beyond (a date or period)
he outlived the century
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to live through (an experience)
Related Words
See survive.
Other Word Forms
- outliver noun
Etymology
Origin of outlive
First recorded in 1425–75, outlive is from the late Middle English word outliven. See out-, live 1
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.
You are two years older than your wife, and women tend to outlive men by around five to six years.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026
But Iran’s state apparatus was built to outlive individual leaders, thanks to layered and overlapping centers of political and military power.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
"Dad always believed stories outlive people. In a way, this is him still helping families he will never meet, which I think is the most beautiful legacy you can leave."
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
She eventually manages to outlive him, fueled by a burning vengeance to take what’s owed to her, even if it means sacrificing everything.
From Salon • Dec. 20, 2025
But Rachel started crying when she heard her best friend, Sofia Garcia, would outlive her by 172 days.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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.
