English
live
Etymology 1

From Middle English lyven, libben, from Old English lifian, libban, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp-.

Cognate with Saterland Frisian líeuwje, Western Frisian libje, Dutch leven, nds-de leven, lęven, German leben, Swedish leva, Icelandic lifa, Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽.

Pronunciation Verb

live (lives, present participle living; simple past and past participle lived)

  1. (intransitive) To be alive; to have life.
    He's not expected to live for more than a few months.
  2. (intransitive) To have permanent residence somewhere, to inhabit, to reside.
    I live at 2a Acacia Avenue.  He lives in LA, but he's staying here over the summer.
    • 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC ↗, page 16 ↗:
      Athelstan Arundel walked home all the way, foaming and raging. No omnibus, cab, or conveyance ever built could contain a young man in such a rage. His mother lived at Pembridge Square, which is four good measured miles from Lincoln's Inn.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:
      It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.
    1. (intransitive, informal) (of an object) to have its proper place; to normally be stored.
      I washed your gravy boat. Where does it live?
  3. (intransitive) To survive; to persevere; to continue.
    • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, Canto XXXI, page 50 ↗:
      When Lazarus left his charnel-cave,
      ⁠And home to Mary’s house return’d, […]
      ‘Where wert thou, brother, those four days?’
      ⁠There lives no record of reply,
      ⁠Which telling what it is to die
      Had surely added praise to praise.
  4. (intransitive) To endure in memory; to escape oblivion.
    Her memory lives in that song.
  5. (intransitive, hyperbole) To cope.
    You'll just have to live with it!  I can't live in a world without you.
  6. (intransitive) To pass life in a specified manner.
    It is difficult to live in poverty.   And they lived happily ever after.
  7. (transitive) To spend, as one's life; to pass; to maintain; to continue in, constantly or habitually.
    To live an idle or a useful life.
  8. (transitive) To act habitually in conformity with; to practice; to exemplify in one's way of life.
    • 1563 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, […], London: […] Iohn Day, […], →OCLC ↗:
      to live the Gospel
  9. (transitive, obsolete) To live as; to live being.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC ↗; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii ↗:
      at leaſt admit vs libertie,
      Euen as thou hopſt to be eternized,
      By liuing Aſias mightie Emperour.
  10. (intransitive) To outlast danger; to float (said of a ship, boat, etc).
    No ship could live in such a storm.
    • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii]:
      a strong mast that lived upon the sea
  11. (intransitive, followed by on, upon, or by) To maintain or support one's existence; to provide for oneself; to feed; to subsist.
    It is hard to live on the minimum wage.   They lived on stale bread.   Man shall not live by bread alone.
  12. (intransitive, informal) To make the most of life; to experience a full, rich life.
    I'm sick of spending every day studying at home: I want to go out there and live!
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Etymology 2

An aphetic form of alive.

Pronunciation Adjective

live

  1. (only used attributively) Having life; that is alive.
    The post office will not ship live animals.
  2. Being in existence; actual.
    He is a live example of the consequences of excessive drinking.
  3. Having active properties; being energized.
    Because the vaccinia virus is live, it is important to follow care instructions for the vaccination site.
  4. Operational; in actual use rather than in testing etc.
    1. (programming) Of an object or value: that may potentially be used in the future execution of a program.
      Antonyms: dead
  5. Taken from a living animal.
    live feathers
  6. (engineering) Imparting power; having motion.
    the live spindle of a lathe
    a live, or driving, axle
  7. (sports) Still in active play.
    a live ball
  8. (card games) Of a card: not yet dealt or played.
    • 2005, Alison M. Pendergast, Play Winning Poker in No Time, page 57:
      As a beginner, when you are in a hand, you should practice counting your outs, or those live cards left in the deck that can improve your hand.
  9. (broadcasting) Being broadcast ("on the air"), as it happens.
    The station presented a live news program every evening.
    Are we live?
  10. (of a performance or speech) In person.
    This nightclub has a live band on weekends.
  11. (entertainment, performing) Recorded from a performance in front of an audience.
    a live album
  12. Able to fire or explode (of firearms or explosives).
    The air force practices dropping live bombs on the uninhabited island.
  13. Of an environment where sound is recorded: having noticeable reverberation.
    • 2002, John Eargle, Chris Foreman, Audio Engineering for Sound Reinforcement, page 21:
      A good experiment is to have a friend stand in a fixed position in a moderately live room and talk in a clear voice.
    • 2016, Jason Corey, Audio Production and Critical Listening: Technical Ear Training, page 136:
      It sounds like the instruments were recorded in a fairly live room with reverb added.
  14. (circuitry) Electrically charged or energized, usually indicating that the item may cause electrocution if touched.
    Use caution when working near live wires.
  15. (poker) Being a bet which can be raised by the bettor, usually in reference to a blind or straddle.
    Tommy's blind was live, so he was given the option to raise.
  16. (film) Featuring humans; not animated, in the phrases “live actors” or “live action”.
  17. Being in a state of ignition; burning.
    a live coal; live embers
  18. (obsolete) Vivid; bright.
    • a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC ↗:
      the live carnation
  19. (slang)
    1. (dated) Energetic, attentive, active.
      a live man, or orator
    2. Outstanding, top-notch, exhilarating.
  20. (linguistics) Of a syllable in languages such as Thai and Burmese: resonating, not ending abruptly.
    Antonyms: dead
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Translations
  • French: en direct, en live
  • German: Live-
  • Italian: in diretta, dal vivo, in presa diretta, in tempo reale, live
  • Portuguese: ao vivo
  • Russian: в эфир
  • Spanish: en vivo, en directo
Translations Translations Adverb

live

  1. Of an event, as it happens; in real time; direct.
    The concert was broadcast live by radio.
  2. Of making a performance or speech, in person.
    He'll be appearing live at the auditorium.
Translations

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