survivor
Americannoun
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a person or thing that survives.
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Law. the one of two or more designated persons, as joint tenants or others having a joint interest, who outlives the other or others.
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a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks.
noun
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a person or thing that survives
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property law one of two or more specified persons having joint interests in property who lives longer than the other or others and thereby becomes entitled to the whole property
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of survivor
Explanation
A survivor is someone who hasn't died: the word is used often about people who have been through a horrible experience, like a plane crash. Cancer survivors and Holocaust survivors have one thing in common: they lived through horrible ordeals and are still with us. The TV show "Survivor" made this word feel a little less weighty, but it still packs a punch. Anytime something horrible happens — like a car crash or an epidemic — you'll hear about the survivors. Some survivors may feel they are just lucky, but many survivors take pride in being strong enough to survive.
Vocabulary lists containing survivor
Words from "The Avengers"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
To receive the maximum benefit for which you are eligible, you simply must have reached FRA at the time you claim survivor benefits to avoid any penalties for early filing.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
The survivor told Italian media that he had escaped the burning car by breaking one of the windows.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
The first survivor, a laboratory worker, to have recovered left hospital last week.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
One survivor recalls how her mother tore the pages from the family’s books, “soaked the pages in water, and we swallowed the liquid.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
The Holocaust survivor at our table showed us his tattoo and it made me wonder if he ever tried to hide it from others.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
