outlives

Outlives is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb outlive. The verb outlive means to continue to live after someone else has died, or to last longer than something else. It is used for people as well as non-human entities such as institutions, traditions, or objects that endure beyond another's passing or beyond a specified time.

Grammar and usage: Outlive is typically transitive, taking the person or thing that dies earlier as its object. Examples: "He outlives his rival by several years." "The tradition outlives its founder." In non-literal uses, it can describe longevity in abstract terms, for instance "The memory of the battle outlives the event itself." The form outlives is used with third-person singular subjects in the present tense; other forms include outlive (base), outlived (past), and outliving (present participle).

Etymology and relation: The word is built from the prefix out- plus live, and is attested in English from the Middle English period. It shares meaning with related verbs such as outlast and endure, though each carries its own nuance and typical contexts.

See also: outlast, endure, survive, longevity.