survivalist

American  

[ser-vahy-vuh-list] / sərˈvaɪ və lɪst /

noun

1. a person who makes preparations to survive a widespread catastrophe, as an atomic war or anarchy, especially by storing food and weapons in a safe place.

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survivalist British  

/ səˈvaɪvəlɪst /

noun

1. 1. a person who believes in ensuring his personal survival of a catastrophic event by arming himself and often by living in the wild

   2. ( as modifier )

      survivalist weapons

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Other Word Forms

• survivalism noun

Etymology

Origin of survivalist

First recorded in 1965–70; survival + -ist

Example Sentences

The steel fence that a cosplaying Tolkien fan insists on erecting in Middle of Nowhere, Mont., to block his survivalist neighbors’ horses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

The survivalist film will be released by the streaming service on 24 April.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has once again brought newcomers to survivalist schools, as people have been itching to leave the house.

From Slate • Oct. 27, 2024

Ella Purnell for her darkly humorous depiction of a sheltered creampuff turned survivalist in the dystopian video game adaptation “Fallout.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2024

He went back to sorting through his pack, which seemed to hold a bottomless supply of cooking utensils, survivalist gear and random sports equipment.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan