a person or thing that survives, such as a custom the act or fact of surviving or condition of having survived (as modifier): survival kit
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
sur•viv•al /sɚˈvaɪvəl/USA pronunciation
n. something that continues to live or exist, as from an earlier time:[countable]Some of our social manners and customs are survivals from an earlier era. See -viv-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- [uncountable] the act or fact of surviving:survival of the fittest.
sur•viv•al
(sər vī′vəl),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
- the act or fact of surviving, esp. under adverse or unusual circumstances.
- a person or thing that survives or endures, esp. an ancient custom, observance, belief, or the like.
- Anthropology(no longer in technical use) the persistence of a cultural trait, practice, or the like long after it has lost its original meaning or usefulness.
adj.
- of, pertaining to, or for use in surviving, esp. under adverse or unusual circumstances:survival techniques.
- survive + -al2 1590–1600
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