live on
To continue to exist or endure — in memory, influence, or effect — long after the person or thing it came from is gone.
“His music will live on for many years.”
“These old family recipes live on in my kitchen today.”
“Your kindness will live on in the hearts of your friends.”
“Even though the old library is closing, the stories inside will live on in the memories of the community.”
“The traditions of the small village live on through the annual festival that young people still organize every summer.”
“Although the company failed, its innovative ideas live on in the new technology we use for our smartphones.”
“Though the great leader has passed away, his vision for a peaceful society continues to live on through the work of his students.”
A transparent phrasal verb: the particle on carries its sense of continuation, as in carry on, go on, and hold on. To live on is simply to keep living — first literally, of someone who survives a hardship, then figuratively, of the memories, reputations, and traditions that outlast their source.
Last updated July 28, 2026