1
N‑UNCOUNT
If you refer to the
survival
of something or someone, you mean that they manage to continue or exist in spite of difficult circumstances. □
2
N‑UNCOUNT
If you refer to the
survival
of a person or living thing, you mean that they live through a dangerous situation in which it was possible that they might die. □
3 PHRASE You can use the survival of the fittest to refer to a situation in which only the strongest people or things continue to live or be successful, while the others die or fail.
sur|vive ◆◆◇ /sə r va I v/ (survives , surviving , survived )
1
VERB
If a person or living thing
survives
in a dangerous situation such as an accident or an illness, they do not die. □ [V
]
2
VERB
If you
survive
in difficult circumstances, you manage to live or continue in spite of them and do not let them affect you very much. □ [V
]
3
VERB
If something
survives
, it continues to exist even after being in a dangerous situation or existing for a long time. □ [V
]
4
VERB
If you
survive
someone, you continue to live after they have died. □ [V
n]
pull through:
live:
last:
sur|vi|vor /sə r va I və r / (survivors )
1
N‑COUNT
A
survivor
of
a disaster, accident, or illness is someone who continues to live afterwards in spite of coming close to death. □ [+
2
N‑COUNT
A
survivor
of
a very unpleasant experience is a person who has had such an experience, and who is still affected by it. □ [+
3
N‑COUNT
[usu pl, usu poss N
] A person's
survivors
are the members of their family who continue to live after they have died. [AM
] □
4
N‑COUNT
If you describe someone as a
survivor
, you approve of the fact that they are able to carry on with their life even though they experience many difficulties. [APPROVAL
] □
sus|cep|tibil|ity /səse pt I b I l I ti/ (susceptibilities )
1
N‑VAR
If you have a
susceptibility
to
something unpleasant, you are likely to be affected by it. □ [+
2
N‑PLURAL
A person's
susceptibilities
are feelings which can be easily hurt. [FORMAL
] □
sus|cep|tible /səse pt I b ə l/