What does survivor mean?
A survivor is someone who remains alive after an accident, disaster, conflict, illness, or other dangerous situation. The word is also used more broadly for a person, group, or thing that continues to exist or function after others have been destroyed, lost, or eliminated. “Sole survivor” is a particularly common expression, as is the phrase “survivor of a disaster.” In some contexts, the word carries emotional weight because it implies that the person has experienced loss or hardship as well as survival. It can also be used less dramatically to describe a person who has endured a difficult period or a project that has outlasted earlier versions. The term is common in both British and American English and can apply literally or figuratively.
A person who remains alive after a dangerous, fatal, or exceptionally difficult event or experience.
"The rescue team found no survivors."
The word is especially common in reports of accidents, natural disasters, conflicts, and other emergencies.
A person, group, or thing that continues to exist, operate, or endure after others have failed or disappeared.
"The old theater was one of the few survivors of the redevelopment."
This figurative sense is common in journalism and discussion of preservation, decline, and resilience.
Usually countable; the plural is used for the people or things that remain after a disaster, conflict, failure, or other event.
"The survivors returned to the village several weeks later."
From Latin super- (“over”) and vivere (“to live”), a survivor is literally someone who lives beyond danger.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does survivor come from?
“Survivor” comes from the Latin verb supervivere, formed from super- (“over, beyond”) and vivere (“to live”), meaning “to outlive” or “to remain alive.” The English form developed through Old French survivour, which had the sense of one who survives. Modern cognates and related forms include survive, survival, and survivorship.
Related word forms
How survivor is actually used
The word is most commonly used for a person who has survived a disaster, conflict, illness, or other serious danger. It can also refer to an organization, species, building, or object that continues to endure.
Easily confused with survivor
A survivor is a person or thing that remains alive or operative, whereas survivable describes an experience or situation that can be endured without fatal consequences.