Definition of survive

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sur·vive    (sr-vv) KEY 

VERB:
sur·vived, sur·viv·ing, sur·vives
VERB:
intr.

1. To remain alive or in existence.
2. To carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere: families that were surviving in tents after the flood.
3. To remain functional or usable: I dropped the radio, but it survived.

VERB:
tr.

1. To live longer than; outlive: She survived her husband by five years.
2. To live, persist, or remain usable through: plants that can survive frosts; a clock that survived a fall.
3. To cope with (a trauma or setback); persevere after: survived child abuse.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English surviven, from Old French sourvivre, from Latin supervvere : super-, super- + vvere, to live; see g^wei- in Indo-European roots

OTHER FORMS:
sur·vivor(Noun)