survival

American  

[ser-vahy-vuhl] / sərˈvaɪ vəl /

noun

survivals plural

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

Derived Forms

• nonsurvival
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• survivals
  plural

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

"That deeply changed me," Traill said, and "it became clear that the old rules around fires and survival no longer applied".

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

In separate neuronal cultures exposed to conditions resembling those seen in Alzheimer's disease, OLE improved cell survival, suggesting the compound may also directly protect neurons.

From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026

Mandao has been "in survival mode for several months," she said, with cascading power cuts braking home deliveries by disrupting mobile phone signals and leaving delivery drivers without power for their electric motorbikes.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Looking back now, Chisa calls training an act of "pure survival".

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Villagers need to chop down trees to build fires to cook with and to heat their homes...for survival.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh

Related Words

• continuity
• durability
• endurance