survival
noun
sur·viv·al
sər-ˈvī-vəl 
often attributive
1
a
: the act or fact of living or continuing longer than another person or thing
b
: the continuation of life or existence
problems of survival in arctic conditions
2
: one that survives
Examples of survival in a Sentence
The refugees depend on foreign aid for their survival.
Small businesses are fighting for survival.
the survival of an old folktale
Recent Examples on the Web
During the formative phase of the infant American republic, when its survival was still problematic, iconic founders performed a valuable function as reliable sources of unquestioned wisdom, a veritable gallery of Delphic oracles available on demand.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
After previously awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grants to organizations around the country were canceled in April, Wisconsin Humanities went into survival mode and launched an emergency fundraising campaign.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Her health determines the strength and survival of tens of thousands of worker bees.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the country enshrined nuclear weapons in its constitution, underscoring how salient the Kim regime views the capability to its survival.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survival
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
After previously awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grants to organizations around the country were canceled in April, Wisconsin Humanities went into survival mode and launched an emergency fundraising campaign.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Her health determines the strength and survival of tens of thousands of worker bees.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the country enshrined nuclear weapons in its constitution, underscoring how salient the Kim regime views the capability to its survival.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survival
Cite this Entry
“Survival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survival. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
survival
noun
sur·viv·al
sər-ˈvī-vəl
1
: the act or fact of living or continuing longer than another person or thing
survival of half the population after the epidemic
2
: a continuation of life despite difficult conditions
skills for survival in the desert
3
: one that survives
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share