survivors
|sur-viv-ors|
🇺🇸
/sərˈvaɪvərz/
🇬🇧
/səˈvaɪvə(r)z/
(survivor)
continue living
Etymology
'survivor' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'supervivere', where 'super-' meant 'over' and 'vivere' meant 'to live'.
'supervivere' passed into Old French as 'survivre' and Middle English as 'survivour' (or similar forms), eventually becoming the modern English word 'survivor'.
Initially it meant 'one who lives beyond' (literally 'live over/above'), and over time it evolved into the current sense of 'a person who continues to live after a dangerous event, illness, or the death of others'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
people who continue to live after a dangerous event such as an accident, natural disaster, or attack.
The survivors were rescued from the rubble after the earthquake.
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Noun 2
people who outlive someone else (e.g., family members who survive a deceased relative). Often used in legal or familial contexts.
The will left the estate to the deceased's survivors.
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Noun 3
people who have recovered from a serious illness, especially long-term conditions (e.g., cancer survivors).
Many survivors of the disease formed a support group.
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Last updated: 2025/10/02 07:32