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
Season 2 of Netflix's Korean survival drama is gearing up for its Dec. 26 premiere, but the Emmy-winning series is already set to end with season 3 in 2025.
—
Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Kroger and Albertsons made the case that the merger was a matter of survival and that their biggest rivals are not conventional supermarkets but giants like Walmart and Costco.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024
Iran’s leadership is steeped in antagonism toward both Israel and the United States, and the regime’s investment in its nuclear program and proxy network has been key to its survival strategy.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Biologists working to protect fish The NPS is still concerned about the survival of this pupfish species that has no other natural habitat, however.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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.
Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Kroger and Albertsons made the case that the merger was a matter of survival and that their biggest rivals are not conventional supermarkets but giants like Walmart and Costco.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024
Iran’s leadership is steeped in antagonism toward both Israel and the United States, and the regime’s investment in its nuclear program and proxy network has been key to its survival strategy.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Biologists working to protect fish The NPS is still concerned about the survival of this pupfish species that has no other natural habitat, however.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for survival
Dictionary Entries Near survival
Cite this Entry
“Survival.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survival. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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