From Middle English livynge, libbyng, livinde, livand, livende, libbinde, libbende, from Old English lifiġende, lifiende, libbende, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjandī, from Proto-Germanic *libjandz (“living”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live”), equivalent to live + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian libbend (“living”), Dutch levend (“living”), German lebend (“living”), Swedish levande (“living”), Icelandic lifandi (“living”).
Meanings
(not-comparable) Having life; alive.
Respect for the dead does not preclude respect for the living.
a living, breathing child
It is also pertinent to note that the current obvious decline in work on holarctic hepatics most surely reflects a current obsession with cataloging and with nomenclature of the organisms—as divorced from their study as living entities. 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page ix:
(not-comparable) In use or existing.
Hunanese is a living language.
The cab pulled up in front of a tumbledown cheap ‘villa’ in an unfinished cheap neighbourhood, — the whole place a living monument of the defeat of the speculative builder. 1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:
(not-comparable) True to life.
This is the living image of Fidel Castro.
(not-comparable) Of rock or stone, existing in its original state and place.
This we followed for about five paces, when it suddenly widened out into a small chamber, about eight feet square, and hewn out of the living rock. 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
nl levens- (of everyday life) · pt vivente (having life) · dsb žywy (having life) · ko 산 (having life) · ba тере (having life) · uk живи́й (having life) · rap aringa (having life) · ko 생활의 (of everyday life) · hi जीवित (having life) · pl życiowy (of everyday life) · he חי (having life) · is lifandi (having life) · pt vivo (having life) · sv levande (in use or existing) · es vivencial (of everyday life) · mr जिवंत (having life) · sq ka (in use or existing) · sh живјети (having life) · el έμβιος (having life) · ko 생생한 (true to life) · la animalis (having life) · ro viu (having life) · ko 정말로 (used as an intensifier) · kea vive (having life) · ru живу́щий (in use or existing) · ru живу́щий (having life) · sh živjeti (having life) · ko 진짜로 (used as an intensifier) · de existent (in use or existing) · mr सजीव (having life) · ru живо́й (having life) · az diri (having life) · bn জিন্দা (having life) · de lebensecht (true to life) · el ζωντανός (having life) · de lebend (having life) · az sağ (having life) · sh živa (true to life) · ko 현대의 (in use or existing) · fi elävä (in use or existing) · ko 정말 (used as an intensifier) · hy սաղ (having life) · ko 실물 그대로의 (true to life) · la vivus (having life) · bg жив (in use or existing) · gl vivo (having life) · kea bibu (having life) · pl żywy (having life) · sv levande (true to life) · dsb žywy (in use or existing) · fr vivant (having life) · ru живо́й (in use or existing) · de Lebens- (of everyday life) · pt vivo (in use or existing) · he קַיָּם (in use or existing) · mi kaiao (having life) · sh živuća (in use or existing) · txb śāmane (having life) · bg жив (having life) · bn জীবন্ত (having life) · cmn 生活 (of everyday life) · es viviente (having life) · ko 진짜 (used as an intensifier) · grc ζωός (having life) · ar حَيّ (having life) · hi ज़िंदा (having life) · fi elävä (true to life) · gl vivo (in use or existing) · pl żywy (in use or existing) · ko 현존의 (in use or existing) · fi elin- (of everyday life) · ro vie (having life) · sh живети (having life) · ko 현존하는 (in use or existing) · de lebend (in use or existing) · sh živući (of everyday life) · fi elävä (having life) · ba тормошсан (true to life) · ko 거주의 (of everyday life) · hy կենդանի (having life) · ca viu (having life) · sh živeti (having life) · hi जीवी (having life) · eo vivanta (having life) · ko 살아 있는 (having life) · el ζωντανός (in use or existing) · fi elollinen (having life) · ru жи́зненный (of everyday life) · sa आयु (having life) · sh жива (true to life) · sq rron (having life) · sq përjetuar (true to life) · sv levande (having life)
From Middle English livynge, libbyng, livinde, livand, livende, libbinde, libbende, from Old English lifiġende, lifiende, libbende, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjandī, from Proto-Germanic *libjandz (“living”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live”), equivalent to live + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian libbend (“living”), Dutch levend (“living”), German lebend (“living”), Swedish levande (“living”), Icelandic lifandi (“living”).
Meanings
(form-of, participle, present) present participle of live
From Middle English livynge, libbynge, equivalent to live + -ing. Cognate with Middle Dutch levinge, (whence Dutch leving (“way of life, living”)), Middle Low German lēvinge (“living”).
Meanings
(uncountable) The state of being alive.
(countable, uncountable) Financial means; a means of maintaining life; livelihood
it's a living
What do you do for a living?
Career opportunity […] is the one who never knocks — especially not on the doors of women, who are still hooking, housewifing and hairdressing for their livings. 1983 December 10, Jolanta Benal, “The Second Revolution”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 21, page 14:
(countable, uncountable) A style of life.
plain living
The National Brewing Company declared that the Chesapeake Bay region was the Land of Pleasant Living.
(countable, uncountable, with-definite-article) Those who are alive: living people.
Glad to see you're still among the living! [good-humored greeting]
in the land of the living
Some say that the spirits of the departed walk among the living, though most of us do not see them.
(countable, qualifier:canon law, uncountable) A position in a church (usually the Church of England) that has attached to it a source of income; an ecclesiastical benefice.
A Rectory or Parſonage, is a Spirituall liuing, compoſed of Land, Tythe, and other Oblations of the people, ſeparate or dedicate to God in any Congregation, for the ſeruice of his Church there, and for the maintenance of the Gouernour or Miniſter thereof, to vvhoſe charge the ſame is committed. 1616, Henry Spelman, De Non Temerandis Ecclesijs [Churches Not to Be Violated]. A Tract of the Rights and Respect Due unto Churches. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Iohn Beale, →OCLC, pages 2–3:
The patron of the living who had the right to nominate a particular priest might make the choice, but the living was actually granted by the local bishop. 2015, GR Evans, Edward Hicks: Pacifist Bishop at War:
cmn 生態 /生态 (style of life) · pl środki do życia (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ar مَعَاش (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ru жизнь (style of life) · bg прехра́на (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · se ealáhus (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · az yaşayış (state of being alive) · de Lebensumstände (style of life) · nv iiná (state of being alive) · eo vivado (state of being alive) · ru сре́дства к существова́нию (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · yi פּרנסה (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · fi elämä (state of being alive) · ja 生計 (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · nb levebrød (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · la victus (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · fi elämä (style of life) · de Lebensweise (style of life) · fi elintapa (style of life) · ru жизнь (state of being alive) · el ζωή (state of being alive) · bg живе́ене (state of being alive) · ko 생계 (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · bg препита́ние (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · cmn 生活 (style of life) · hi जीवित (state of being alive) · cmn 生活方式 (style of life) · bg средства за преживя́ване (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ar مَعِيشَة (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · la superī (those who are alive) · fi elinkeino (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · fi elo (style of life) · fi elo (state of being alive) · fi elanto (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · sv liv (state of being alive) · ko 생존 (state of being alive) · de Lebende (state of being alive) · ko 생활양식 (style of life) · fi elämäntapa (style of life) · ko 생활방식 (style of life) · bg живите (those who are alive) · ru пропита́ние (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · cmn 生計 /生计 (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ar طَرِيقَة فِي حَيَاة (style of life) · de Lebensunterhalt (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · cmn 飯碗 /饭碗 (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · pl życie (style of life) · ja 生活 (style of life) · pl życie (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · pl źródło utrzymania (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · nn levebrød (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · hi जीविका (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ja 暮らし (style of life) · de Lebensstil (style of life) · de Lebender (state of being alive) · fi työ (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · fr vie (style of life) · fi ansio- (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · az yaşayış (style of life) · he מִחְיָה (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ja 生活様式 (style of life) · de Leben (style of life) · ko 살아 있음 (state of being alive) · cmn 方式 (style of life) · pl utrzymanie (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ru жизнь (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · pl życie (state of being alive) · fr mode de vie (style of life) · fi eläminen (state of being alive) · az yaşayış tərzi (style of life) · az həyat (state of being alive) · ru о́браз жи́зни (style of life) · hi जीवनशैली (style of life) · tl pamumuhay (style of life) · ar حَيَاة (style of life) · el επιούσιος (financial means; a means of maintaining life) · ar نَمَط حَيَاة (style of life) · az həyat (style of life) · ru стиль жи́зни (style of life) · bg на́чин на живо́т (style of life)