Long-lived
What it means
Surviving or continuing for notably many years.
Reach for it when describing organisms, institutions, products, or phenomena with unusual lifespan
The long-lived olive trees continued to fruit after the village was rebuilt.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| professional | |
| formal |
|
| literary |
-
playful
Fits when informal praise for designed durability fits
Careful Built to last cannot describe a species or naturally occurring phenomenon.
-
professional
Fits when physical resistance to damage explains longevity
Careful Durable does not guarantee an unusually long actual life.
-
professional
Fits when a relationship or arrangement has existed for years
Careful Longstanding does not describe living organisms naturally.
-
formal
perennial
Fits when a plant returns for multiple years or an issue repeatedly recurs
Careful Perennial has a specific botanical or recurring meaning.
-
literary
Fits when survival through change matters more than measured lifespan
Careful Enduring can refer to influence after the thing itself has ended.
-
literary
Fits when great age also earns respect
Careful Venerable praises age and status, not merely survival.
Opposites 3
- short-lived
- ephemeral
- brief
Common phrases 3
-
long-lived species
The long-lived species reproduces only after twenty years.
-
long-lived tradition
A long-lived tradition brought former pupils back each spring.
-
remarkably long-lived
The simple hand pump proved remarkably long-lived.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated