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

See Examples For:

survival survivals

Such transfers have helped give independent refiners “a significant procurement cost advantage, which has also been a core means of survival for the industry for many years,” the article said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

"But no one knows for sure what will happen or not. You just rely on your intuition and survival instinct," the 34-year-old said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

The mall’s survival amid the community’s devastation was not without controversy given Caruso’s use of private firefighters to ward off the flames.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Mindful that the odds were against survival, Ipswich also targeted players thought unlikely to baulk at remaining part of the project in the event of relegation.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

The global achievement gap: Why even our best schools don’t teach the new survival skills our children need—and what we can do about it.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Most existing Celtic objects—found in bogs and burial mounds—are durable works in stone, bone, glass, metal and terracotta with rare survivals in wood, leather and cloth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

And there is Van Gogh's At Eternity's Gate - one of the very rare survivals of his first printmaking campaign during which he produced six lithographs in November 1882.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2025

"The need to study these populations for a possible genetic management study became clear several years back, once there were indications that there were few infant births and even fewer infant survivals."

From Science Daily ● Apr. 19, 2024

Iberia, too, had execution survivals that resolved in freedom for the executed.

From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2022

All of its doctrines, its symbols and ceremonies are but the survivals of creeds that perished long ago.

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 2 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Lectures by Robert Green Ingersoll

Related Words

• continuity
• durability
• endurance