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survive (v.)

mid-15c. (implied in surviving), "to outlive, continue in existence after the death of another," originally in the legal (inheritance) sense, from Anglo-French survivre, Old French souvivre (12c., Modern French survivre), from Latin supervivere "live beyond, live longer than," from super "over, beyond" (see super-) + vivere "to live" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live"). Intransitive sense "to live on" is from late 15c. Related: Survived; surviving.

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Definitions of survive from WordNet

survive (v.)
continue to live and avoid dying;
These superstitions survive in the backwaters of America
Synonyms: last / live / live on / go / endure / hold up / hold out
survive (v.)
continue in existence after (an adversity, etc.);
He survived the cancer against all odds
Synonyms: pull through / pull round / come through / make it
survive (v.)
support oneself;
Synonyms: exist / live / subsist
survive (v.)
live longer than;
Synonyms: outlive / outlast
From wordnet.princeton.edu