long-lived

adjective

ˈlȯŋ-ˈlivd How to pronounce long-lived (audio)
also
-ˈlīvd How to pronounce long-lived (audio)
Synonyms of long-livednext
1
: having a long life : living a long time
long-lived siblings
a long-lived perennial
also : characterized by long life
a long-lived family
2
: lasting a long time : enduring
a long-lived fad
also : existing, functioning, or active for a period of time that is longer than usual or expected
a long-lived car
long-lived nuclear waste

Synonyms of long-lived

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of long-lived in a Sentence

that sequoia tree is especially long-lived, having reached an age generally estimated to be at least 3,000 years much to the relief of his parents, the youth's interest in the piano proved to be long-lived
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.
Solarize the Soil Ragweed seeds are impressively long-lived and can stay viable in the soil for 20 years or more. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026 Scientists knew the fish were long-lived, but the estimates were in the 80 to 100 years range. — Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The approach could improve fuel utilization while reducing long-lived spent fuel volumes and strengthening safety and proliferation-resistance characteristics. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026 And neurons, being long-lived, are especially vulnerable to protein clumps, according to the new study’s co-lead author Rishav Mitra, a postdoctoral fellow in Bellono’s lab. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for long-lived

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of long-lived was in the 14th century

Rhymes for long-lived

See All Rhymes for long-lived

Browse Nearby Words

long live
long-lived
long logger
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Long-lived.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long-lived. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

long-lived

adjective
ˈlȯŋ-ˈlīvd, 
-ˈlivd
: living or lasting long
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All