live

UK: verb: /ˈlɪv/, adjective: /ˈlaɪv/

US: /lɪv/

US: (v. liv; adj., adv. līv)

Inflections of 'live' (adj):

liver

adj comparative

livest

adj superlative

Inflections of 'live' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

lives

v 3rd person singular

living

v pres p

lived

v past

lived

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

live¹ /lɪv/   v., lived /lɪvd/ , liv•ing. 

1. Biology to be alive;
   to have life:
   [no object] Elephants live for many years.
2. to continue to have life;
   remain alive:
   [no object] to live to a ripe old age.
3. to continue in existence, operation, memory, etc.;
   last:
   [no object] a book that lives in my memory.
4. to have enough for one's existence;
   provide for oneself:
   [~ + on + object] He can't live on his salary.
5. to eat (something) in order to stay alive or to subsist:
   [~ + on + object] lived on nuts and bananas.
6. to dwell or reside:
   [no object] to live in a cottage.
7. to pass (life) in a specified manner: [no object]
   They lived happily ever after.
   [~ + object]
   to live a life of ease.
8. to practice or represent in one's life:
   [~ + object] to live a philosophy of nonviolence.
9. to enjoy life to the full:
   [no object] At 50 she was just beginning to live.
10. live down, to cause to be forgotten or forgiven through one's future behavior: [~ + down + object]
    She'll never live down that horrible moment of failure.
    [~ + object + down]
    She'll never live it down.
11. live in (or out), [no object] to reside at (or away from) the place of one's employment, esp. as a domestic servant.
12. live out, [~ + out + object] to continue to the end of:
    They lived out their lives in peaceful contentment.
13. live together, [no object] to dwell or live in the same place while having a sexual relationship but without being married.
14. live up to, [~ + up + to + object] to behave so as to satisfy or represent (ideals, standards, etc.):
    living up to the high standards of his father.
15. live with, [~ + with + object]
    • to dwell in the same place with, sometimes in a sexual relationship.
    • to endure:
      We'll just have to live with that noise.

Idioms

16. Idioms live it up, [Informal.] to live in a wild manner;
    pursue pleasure.

Related Words

live is a verb and an adjective, life is a noun, alive, lively, and lifelike are adjectives:
He lives in Manhattan. It was a live show. His life was almost over. She was barely alive. It was a lively TV show, full of fun. He sculpted a lifelike statue.

live² /laɪv/   adj., liv•er, liv•est for 4–7. 13–15. , adv..  
adj. 

1. Biology being alive;
   living:
   [before a noun] live animals.
2. Biology of, relating to, or during the life of a living being:
   [before a noun] an animal's live weight.
3. characterized by or indicating the presence of living creatures:
   the live sounds of the forest.
4. Informal Terms energetic;
   alert;
   lively;
   full of life:
   His approach is live and fresh.
5. burning or glowing:
   live coals.
6. Sport having bounce:
   a live tennis ball.
7. Sport being in play, as a baseball or football.
8. Military loaded but unexploded:
   live ammunition.
9. made up of people who are actually present:
   a live audience.
10. Show Business broadcast while happening or being performed:
    a live telecast.
11. of current interest or importance;
    unsettled:
    live issues.
12. Electricity connected to a source of electricity:
    a live outlet.

adv. 

13. Show Business by transmission at the actual moment of occurrence or performance:
    a program broadcast live.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

live¹  (liv), v., lived (livd), liv•ing. 
v.i. 

1. Biology to have life, as an organism;
   be alive;
   be capable of vital functions:
   all things that live.
2. to continue to have life;
   remain alive:
   to live to a ripe old age.
3. to continue in existence, operation, memory, etc.;
   last:
   a book that lives in my memory.
4. to maintain or support one's existence;
   provide for oneself:
   to live on one's income.
5. to feed or subsist (usually fol. by on or upon):
   to live on rice and bananas.
6. to dwell or reside (usually fol. by in, at, etc.):
   to live in a cottage.
7. to pass life in a specified manner:
   They lived happily ever after.
8. to direct or regulate one's life:
   to live by the golden rule.
9. to experience or enjoy life to the full:
   At 40 she was just beginning to live.
10. to cohabit (usually fol. by with).
11. Aeronautics, Nautical, Naval Terms to escape destruction or remain afloat, as a ship or aircraft.

v.t. 

12. to pass (life):
    to live a life of ease.
13. to practice, represent, or exhibit in one's life:
    to live one's philosophy.
14. live down, to live so as to allow (a mistake, disgrace, etc.) to be forgotten or forgiven:
    She'll never live that crucial moment of failure down.
15. Idioms live high off or on the hog. See hog (def. 10).
16. live in or out, to reside at or away from the place of one's employment, esp. as a domestic servant:
    Their butler lives in, but the maids live out.
17. live it up, [Informal.] to live in an extravagant or wild manner;
    pursue pleasure:
    He started living it up after he got out of the army.
18. live up to, to live in accordance with (expectations or an ideal or standard);
    measure up to:
    He never lived up to his father's vision of him.
19. Idioms live well, to live comfortably:
    They're not wealthy but they live well.

• bef. 900; Middle English liven, Old English lifian, libban; cognate with Dutch leven, German leben, Old Norse lifa, Gothic liban

live²  (līv), adj., liv•er, liv•est for 4–7, 13–15, adv. 
adj. 

1. Biology being alive;
   living;
   alive:
   live animals.
2. Biology of, pertaining to, or during the life of a living being:
   the animal's live weight.
3. characterized by or indicating the presence of living creatures:
   the live sounds of the forest.
4. Informal Terms (of a person) energetic;
   alert;
   lively:
   The club members are a really live bunch.
5. full of life, energy or activity:
   His approach in any business dealing is live and fresh.
6. burning or glowing:
   live coals in the fireplace.
7. Sport having resilience or bounce:
   a live tennis ball.
8. Sport being in play, as a baseball or football.
9. Military loaded or unexploded, as a cartridge or shell:
   live ammunition.
10. made up of actual persons:
    to perform before a live audience.
11. Show Business (of a radio or television program) broadcast while happening or being performed;
    not prerecorded or taped:
    a live telecast.
12. being highly resonant or reverberant, as an auditorium or concert hall.
13. vivid or bright, as color.
14. of current interest or importance, as a question or issue;
    controversial;
    unsettled.
15. moving or imparting motion;
    powered:
    the live head on a lathe.
16. still in use, or to be used, as type set up or copy for printing.
17. Electricity Also, alive. electrically connected to a source of potential difference, or electrically charged so as to have a potential different from that of earth:
    a live wire.
18. Idioms live one, [Slang.]
    • a person who spends money readily.
    • a person easily imposed upon or made the dupe of others.

adv. 

19. Show Business (of a radio or television program) at the moment of its happening or being performed;
    not on tape or by prerecording:
    a program broadcast live.

• 1535–45; 1930–35 for def. 11; aphetic variant of alive, used attributively

live′ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

live / lɪv/ verb (mainly intr)

1. to show the characteristics of life; be alive
2. to remain alive or in existence
3. to exist in a specified way: to live poorly
4. usually followed by in or at: to reside or dwell: to live in London
5. (often followed by on) to continue or last: the pain still lives in her memory
6. (usually followed by by) to order one's life (according to a certain philosophy, religion, etc)
7. followed by on, upon, or by: to support one's style of life; subsist: to live by writing
8. (followed by with) to endure the effects (of a crime, mistake, etc)
9. (followed by through) to experience and survive: he lived through the war
10. (transitive) to pass or spend (one's life, etc)
11. to enjoy life to the full: she knows how to live
12. (transitive) to put into practice in one's daily life; express: he lives religion every day
13. live and let live ⇒ to refrain from interfering in others' lives; to be tolerant

Etymology: Old English libban, lifian; related to Old High German libēn, Old Norse lifa

live / laɪv/ adjective

1. (prenominal) showing the characteristics of life
2. (usually prenominal) of, relating to, or abounding in life: the live weight of an animal
3. (usually prenominal) of current interest; controversial: a live issue
4. actual: a real live cowboy
5. full of life and energy
6. (of a coal, ember, etc) glowing or burning
7. (esp of a volcano) not extinct
8. loaded or capable of exploding: a live bomb
9. transmitted or present at the time of performance, rather than being a recording: a live show
10. (of a record) recorded in concert
11. recorded in one studio take, without overdubs or splicing
12. connected to a source of electric power: a live circuit
13. acoustically reverberant
14. being in a state of motion or transmitting power; positively connected to a driving member

adverb

1. during, at, or in the form of a live performance

Etymology: 16th Century: from on live alive