efterlevende

Efterlevende is a term used in Danish and Norwegian to denote a person or group who remains alive after someone else has died; in Swedish, a closely related form is efterlevande. In English, it is commonly translated as the survivors or surviving relatives. The spelling and usage differ by language: Danish efterlevende, Norwegian etterlevende, Swedish efterlevande. The word can function as a noun meaning a survivor, or as an adjective meaning surviving.

The term is widely used in legal and administrative contexts to designate those who survive the deceased and may be entitled to inheritance, guardianship, or benefits. Phrases include the surviving spouse (for example, den etterlevende ektefelle in Norwegian or den efterlevende ægtefælle in Danish) and the surviving children (de etterlevende barn). In this sense, efterlevende aligns with concepts such as heirs, dependents, or next of kin.

Beyond law, efterlevende is used in general and journalistic language to refer to people who remain after a death, including survivors of disasters or accidents. In genealogy and obituary writing, it identifies the deceased’s surviving relatives.

Etymology traces the term to roots in the Scandinavian languages, combining ideas of “after” life or what remains with living, to describe those who continue to exist following someone’s death. See also survivor, next of kin, and heir.