# survival

Pronunciation: US say "sur-VY-vuhl" /sɚˈvaɪ.vəl/; UK say "suh-VY-vuhl" /səˈvaɪ.vəl/

## Noun

1. The fact of continuing to live or exist, especially after danger, illness, or great difficulty.
   - Simple: The state of staying alive after danger or a hard time.
   - _The survival of the species depends on protecting its last remaining habitat._
   - _Doctors gave the patient only a slim chance of survival after the operation._
2. Of, relating to, or designed to aid staying alive, especially in dangerous or extreme conditions.
   - Simple: Describing tools, skills, or training that help a person stay alive in danger.
   - _The expedition carried survival gear rated for arctic temperatures._
   - _Wilderness guides teach survival techniques to first-time campers._
3. The avoidance of being moved down to a lower league or division at the end of a season.
   - Simple: Staying in the same sports league instead of dropping down to a lower one.
   - _A late goal secured the club's survival and avoided the drop._
   - _Survival was guaranteed once their nearest rivals lost on Saturday._
4. A custom or belief carried over from an earlier age and kept alive in folklore after the original reason for it has been forgotten.
   - Simple: A custom or belief that stays around from long ago, even after people forget why they keep it.
   - _Folklorists treat the midwinter bonfire as a survival from pre-Christian ritual._
   - _The odd phrase in the nursery rhyme is a survival whose original meaning was lost centuries ago._

## Origin

Formed from the verb "survive" combined with the suffix "-al".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/survival (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).