survivor

American  

[ser-vahy-ver] / sərˈvaɪ vər /

noun

• survivors
  plural

1. a person or thing that survives.

2. Law. the one of two or more designated persons, as joint tenants or others having a joint interest, who outlives the other or others.

3. a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks.

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survivor British  

/ səˈvaɪvə /

noun

1. a person or thing that survives

2. 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsurvivor
  noun
• self-survivor
  noun
• survivorship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• survivors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of survivor

First recorded in 1495–1505; survive + -or ²

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

survivor survivors

A few reminders about the rules of survivor benefits: A surviving spouse who has reached FRA can generally receive up to 100% of their deceased spouse’s benefit.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

At the Louvre, staff are still discussing when and how to put the theft’s lone survivor back on public view: Empress Eugenie’s 19th-century crown, which thieves dropped and crumpled outside the museum during their getaway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Coissac said he had spoken to one survivor of the wreck who came from the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, where rebels are battling the federal government in a recent flare-up of violence.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

A cancer survivor said he was screamed at by airport security staff and "made to feel like a criminal" after trying to retrieve his stoma supplies from his luggage.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

With hundreds of millions of bacteria, it only takes one survivor to stave off extinction.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

“Servicers and survivors share the same goal of getting homes rebuilt. Completing construction allows families to get back on their feet and move forward with their lives,” he said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Depending on the location and severity of the brain injury, survivors can experience lasting difficulties with movement, speech, memory, or other abilities.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

The commission reviewed more than 10,000 photographs and video segments and collected more than 430 testimonies and interviews with survivors, witnesses, former hostages, experts and family members.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

"Our thoughts are with the survivors and the families who have lost loved ones or remain without news of their relatives," he added.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

Would Fig be included in the vet’s number of long-lived survivors, or would his picture end up on the bulletin board with his name and a near-future date scribbled underneath?

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

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