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)
Synonym Usage
See survive.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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outlivesimple
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outlivessimple
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have outlivedperfect
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has outlivedperfect
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am outlivingprogressive
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are outlivingprogressive
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is outlivingprogressive
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have been outlivingperfect progressive
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has been outlivingperfect progressive
Past
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outlivedsimple
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had outlivedperfect
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was outlivingprogressive
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were outlivingprogressive
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had been outlivingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Her inevitable set closer “Man I Need” is the caliber of a track that will outlive her and all of us, a song that will always belong to the lovers yet to come.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
And it should help you enjoy your nest egg and not outlive it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
If you outlive the term, you may be able to extend coverage, but the premiums will rise sharply, because the policy converts to annually renewable rates.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
"The diplomatic relationship between USA and South Africa predate the Trump administration and they will outlive the current White House term of office."
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
“Not if we promise to outlive each other, and I make that promise now.”
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
On the flip side, if he outlives me, how do I financially protect my nieces?
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026
If idealism outlives youth, ESG investing will grow significantly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026
In Adamsville, as in America, the myth of a man always outlives the man—and, today especially, seems also to outlast the truth.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025
And the state can’t put a claim on it if there is a co-owner who outlives the Medi-Cal beneficiary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2024
“A ghost is a hunger, one so strong it outlives the body.”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
One of Zealand’s longest-term clients is a small-business owner who has a terminal diagnosis but has outlived the original prognosis.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Natasha Gelman died in Mexico in 1998, having outlived her husband by 12 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Yet some traditions have outlived the kingdoms that created them.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
Critics say it has outlived its usefulness, as today’s media landscape offers a cornucopia of platforms unknown in 1920s America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
He had outlived Sela, outwitted Cluny, and pulled the wool over the eyes of an abbeyful of mice.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Annuities, bond ladders and market portfolios each solve different retirement challenges, but only annuities insure longevity risk, or the risk of outliving one’s savings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026
She includes a brief appreciation of her wig stylist and reports outliving a few plastic surgeons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Working part time in retirement, if you’re healthy enough and can find employers who’ll pay you, can also help avoid outliving your money.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 18, 2025
Even the very wealthy fret over everything from strained family dynamics and outliving their savings to the specter of inflation and the prospect of missing the next big investment trend.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025
Baby Kochamma loved the Ayemenem house and cherished the furniture that she had inherited by outliving everybody else.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
