survivalist

noun

sur·​viv·​al·​ist sər-ˈvī-və-list How to pronounce survivalist (audio)
: a person who advocates or practices survivalism
especially : one who has prepared to survive in the anarchy of an anticipated breakdown of society
survivalist adjective

Examples of survivalist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The series started out on a grisly note of survivalist determination, with Cara hunting down and killing a man who dared trifle with the Dutton clan. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2025 Simu Liu co-stars in a new survivalist escape movie about deep-sea divers battling the elements to rescue their crewmate. Adam Davidson, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2025 The psychological survivalist thriller operates on multiple timelines: The primary one follows a high school girls' soccer team — the Yellowjackets — after their plane crashes in the woods in 1996. Skyler Trepel, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025 By Result By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter 0 A fan of retro-futurism and survivalist relics has taken things to a new level, sharing the opening of a 70-year-old can of emergency drinking water. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for survivalist

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of survivalist was in 1950

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Survivalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survivalist. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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