outlive, v.
(aʊtˈlɪv)
[out- 18, 17.]
1. trans. Of a person: To live longer than (another person); to survive; also, to live longer than (a thing lasts).
| 1472 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 234/2 In cas hereafter it happen you..to outleve our seid Sovereigne Lord. 1560 Bible (Genev.) Judg. ii. 7 All the daies of the Elders that outlyued Ioshua. 1695 Blackmore Pr. Arth. iv. 341 Asham'd his Country's Freedom to out-live. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 72 ¶11 The Senior Member has out-lived the whole Club twice over. 1880 M{supc}Carthy Own Times IV. lvii. 253 He had out-lived nearly all his early friends and foes. |
b. Of a thing: To endure longer than; to outlast.
| c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. lv, Not marble, nor the gilded monuments Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme. 1706 Estcourt Fair Examp. iv. i. 51 When Guilt outlives the Sence of Shame. 1813 J. Thomson Lect. Inflam. 229 The Taliacotian art does not, however, appear to have long outlived its author in Italy. 1865 Lightfoot Gal. (1874) 13 The character of a nation even outlives its language. |
2. To live through or beyond (a specified time).
| 1657 S. Purchas Pol. Flying-Ins. 39 Not one will out-live October. 1726–31 Waldron Isle Man (1865) 67 He is sure not to out-live three days. 1867 Max Müller Chips (1880) III. 334 The mammoth..did not outlive the age of bronze. |
b. To live through or beyond (a certain state or experience); to pass through; to outgrow.
| 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. i. 63 How many have out-lived their piety. 1775 Johnson Let. to Mrs. Thrale 13 July, They have outlived the age of weakness. 1806 Naval Chron. XV. 266 The Montagu having..outlived the hurricane. 1887 Lowell Democr. etc. 42 The world has outlived much, and will outlive a great deal more. |
† 3. intr. To survive. Obs.
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. ii. iii. 132 But when ye haue the hony we desire, Let not this Waspe out-liue vs both to sting. |
4. trans. To excel in (virtuous) living.
| 1883 Macfadyen in Congreg. Year-bk. 58 Bishop Burnet gave his clergy the..advice that if they wished Dissent to cease, they must out-live, out-labour, out-preach Dissenters. |
Hence outˈlived, outˈliving ppl. adjs.; outˈliver, a survivor.
| 1800 Lamb Lett., to Manning 55 The prattle of age, and outlived importance. 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Survivant, the outliuer. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 186 The out-liuer becomming a conuert to their religion. 1630 Milton Passion 7 In Wintry solstice like the shortn'd light Soon swallow'd up in dark and long out-living night. |