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Added 8 October 2026

living

/ˈlɪvɪŋ/ verb

Categories: Describing WordsMind & IdeasEveryday Words

In Latin: animalis, vivus Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about living at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. present participle of live

adjective

  1. Having life; alive.
    a living, breathing child
  2. In use or existing.
    Hunanese is a living language.
  3. True to life.
    This is the living image of Fidel Castro.

noun

  1. The state of being alive.
  2. Financial means; a means of maintaining life; livelihood
    it's a living
  3. A style of life.
    plain living

Origin

From Middle English livynge, libbyng, livinde, livand, livende, libbinde, libbende, from Old English lifiġende, lifiende, libbende, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjandī, from Proto-Germanic *libjandz (“living”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live”), equivalent to live + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian libbend (“living”), Dutch levend (“living”), German lebend (“living”), Swedish levande (“living”), Icelandic lifandi (“living”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: aliveextantanimationsustenancekeepsupportalivenessrealisticlifelivelihoodabsolute

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