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

Examples of long-lived in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Paramount story begins with its legendary and long-lived founding mogul, Adolph Zukor. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 If God didn't wish it, Russia would not be so large and long-lived. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Keeping and favoring native plants is imperative to creating a resilient and long-lived landscape. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024 Being cognitively sophisticated and also long-lived has its dark side. Natalie De Souza, The New York Review of Books, 1 Feb. 2024 For all their spider smarts and adaptability, jumping spiders aren't long-lived. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024 Flow batteries are safe and long-lived Nanoelectrofuel batteries are a new take on the reduction-oxidation (redox) flow battery, which was first proposed nearly a century and a half ago. IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2023 But the steppe-straddling superpower established by Genghis Khan was uniquely long-lived and expansive. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 Succulents that are especially long-lived include Christmas cactus, snake plant, and aloe vera plant. Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 12 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'long-lived.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near long-lived

Cite this Entry

“Long-lived.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long-lived. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

long-lived

adjective
ˈlȯŋ-ˈlīvd,
-ˈlivd
: living or lasting long

More from Merriam-Webster on long-lived

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!