Overleven

Overleven is a Dutch verb meaning to survive or to live through a difficult or dangerous situation. It can refer to the persistence of individuals, groups, or populations under adverse conditions, as well as the endurance of systems or structures. The noun form overleving is often translated as survival. The word derives from over- meaning through or beyond, and leven meaning to live.

In biology and ecology, overleven describes the capacity of organisms to withstand environmental stressors, with survival rates and life-history strategies shaping population dynamics. In disaster risk and safety planning, survivability or overleving concerns the probability that people, assets, or systems endure a hazard and continue functioning. In psychology and sociology, the concept is linked to resilience, coping skills, and post-traumatic adaptation, recognizing that surviving an event does not automatically imply full recovery or well-being.

Cultural and historical contexts frequently frame overleven in narratives of famine, war, migration, or catastrophe, where collective memory and identity are shaped by episodes of endurance. Discussions of overleven also touch on ethical and social dimensions, such as the trade-offs between immediate survival and long-term quality of life, and the disparities in access to resources that affect chances of surviving adverse events.

Related concepts include survivability, resilience, endurance, and survivorship. In English-language use, the closest equivalent is survival, while overleven remains the standard Dutch term.