v. sur·vived, sur·viv·ing, sur·vives v.intr. 1. To remain alive or in existence. 2. To carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere: families that were surviving in tents after the flood. 3. To remain functional or usable: I dropped the radio, but it survived. v.tr. 1. To live longer than; outlive: She survived her husband by five years. 2. To live, persist, or remain usable through: plants that can survive frosts; a clock that survived a fall. 3. To cope with (a trauma or setback); persevere after: survived child abuse. [Middle English surviven, from Old French sourvivre, from Latin supervīvere : super-, super- + vīvere, to live; see gwei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] sur·vivor n. |
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