- 1[uncountable] the state of continuing to live or exist, often despite difficulty or danger the struggle/battle/fight for survival His only chance of survival was a heart transplant. Exporting is necessary for our economic survival. Continued trade in these products is a threat to the survival of the species.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 2[countable] survival (from something) something that has continued to exist from an earlier time synonym relic The ceremony is a survival from pre-Christian times. Idioms
the principle that only the people or things that are best adapted to their surroundings will continue to exist
Check pronunciation: survival