survival

American  

[ser-vahy-vuhl] / sərˈvaɪ vəl /

noun

1. the act or fact of surviving, especially under adverse or unusual circumstances.

2. a person or thing that survives or endures, especially an ancient custom, observance, belief, or the like.

3. Anthropology. (no longer in technical use) the persistence of a cultural trait, practice, or the like long after it has lost its original meaning or usefulness.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or for use in surviving, especially under adverse or unusual circumstances.

   survival techniques.

survival British  

/ səˈvaɪvəl /

noun

1. a person or thing that survives, such as a custom

2. 1. the act or fact of surviving or condition of having survived

   2. ( as modifier )

      survival kit

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Other Word Forms

• nonsurvival
  noun

Etymology

Origin of survival

First recorded in 1590–1600; survive + -al ²

Explanation

As a wise man once said, “The history of the world, my sweet, is who gets eaten and who gets to eat.” That’s survival in a nutshell. It’s the act of continuing to live, usually when others fail. As the Bee Gees put it in disco’s heyday — survival means “staying alive.” If you look closely, you’ll spot viv in the middle of survival. That’s part of the Latin verb vivere, meaning “to live.” You might recognize it from words like vivid "lively" and vivacious "full of life." Combine it with sur- (over) and you’ll grasp the essence of survival: to keep existing despite hardship or after others die. Charles Darwin’s term survival of the fittest means that only the best equipped live will reproduce and survive.

Example Sentences

For her, it’s also a celebration of perseverance, grit and survival.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Together, these organisms form a tightly connected system known as the holobiont, which is essential for coral survival and function.

From Science Daily • May 8, 2026

Do Spurs fans want an Arsenal win, which will increase Tottenham's survival chances - and edge their north London neighbours closer to a first league crown since 2004?

From BBC • May 8, 2026

But for a generation navigating a nomadic job market and a heavy social calendar of weddings and travel, it helps to reframe that survival fund as your cash reserve or “opportunity fund.”

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

We learned that wildlife, like deer and butterflies, depend on native plants for survival, and if we remove the bushes and small trees along our coastlines, then hurricanes could cause increased coastal erosion.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• continuity
• durability
• endurance