ENGLISH
REFERENCE

live

v. · adj. · adv.
US //ˈɫaɪv// live
  1. 1 to be alive (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to be alive and have life.

    to have life; to be in a state of biological existence.

    Example

    Some species of desert plants can live for over a hundred years.

    Example

    Biologists are still discovering organisms that live in extreme conditions near volcanic vents on the ocean floor.
  2. 2 to have a home (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to have your permanent home in a particular place.

    to reside or inhabit a specific location permanently or for a significant duration.

    Example

    I live in a small apartment near the city centre.

    Example

    After years of moving between different cities, she finally decided to live in a quiet coastal village.
    Pitfall
    I am living in London since three years.
    I have lived in London for three years.

    Use the present perfect with 'for' or 'since' to describe a period of time starting in the past and continuing now.

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  1. 3 broadcast as it happens (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    broadcast on TV, radio, or the internet at the same time it is happening.

    broadcast in real time; not pre-recorded.

    Example

    The news reporter is giving a live update from the scene of the accident.

    Example

    The network decided to air a live broadcast of the debate to ensure viewers received the information without any editorial delays.
  2. 4 performing in person (adj.)
    A2 Elementary Music

    performing in front of an audience rather than on a recording.

    performed in person before an audience; relating to a performance that is not a studio recording.

    Example

    I prefer listening to live music because the atmosphere is much better.

    Example

    The band's live performance was far more energetic than their polished studio albums had suggested.
  3. 5 carrying electricity (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Engineering

    connected to a source of electricity and dangerous to touch.

    electrically charged or energized; capable of delivering a shock if contacted.

    Example

    Be careful not to touch that live wire while you are fixing the lamp.

    Example

    The electrician used a voltage tester to confirm whether the circuit was still live before beginning the repairs.
  4. 6 not animated (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate Film

    using real people instead of drawings or computer images.

    featuring human actors rather than being animated or computer-generated.

    Example

    The studio is making a live-action version of the classic cartoon.

    Example

    Critics debated whether the live-action remake could capture the whimsical charm of the original hand-drawn animation.
    • real life
  5. 7 happening now (adv.)
    B1 Intermediate

    at the same time as an event is happening.

    in a live manner; during the actual occurrence of an event.

    Example

    The match is being shown live on Channel 4 tonight.

    Example

    The space agency streamed the rocket launch live to millions of viewers across the globe.
    • in real time
Etymology 1

From Middle English lefe, lifen, libbe, libben, live, luvien, lyven, from Old English libban, lifian (“to live; be alive”), from Proto-West Germanic libbjan, from Proto-Germanic libjaną (“to live”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick”). Cognates Cognate with Yola live (“to live”), North Frisian laawe, lawe, lewe, lewi, lewwe, lääwe (“to live”), Saterland Frisian lieuwje, líeuwje (“to live”), West Frisian libje (“to live”), Alemannic German lëëbe (“to live”), Cimbrian and Mòcheno lem (“to live”), Dutch leeven, leven (“to live”), German leben (“to live”), German Low German lęven (“to live”), Limburgish leve, léëve (“to live”), Luxembourgish liewen (“to live”), Vilamovian łaowa (“to live”), Yiddish לעבן (lebn, “to live”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål leve (“to live”), Faroese liva (“to live”), Icelandic lifa (“to live”), Norwegian Nynorsk leva, leve, liva (“to live”), Swedish leva (“to live”), Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 (liban, “to live”); also Latin lippus (“half-sighted, myopic”), Greek λίπος (lípos, “fat, tallow”), Lithuanian lipti (“to stick”), Bulgarian лепя́ (lepjá, “to glue, paste, stick; to plaster, smear”), Czech lepit (“to glue, stick”), Macedonian лепи (lepi, “to glue, stick”), Polish lepić (“to mold; to glue, paste; to stick”), Russian лепи́ть (lepítʹ, “to fashion, sculpt, shape”), Serbo-Croatian лепити, лије́пити, lépiti, lijépiti (“to glue, paste; to stick”), Slovak lepiť (“to stick”), Slovene lepiti (“to stick”), Ukrainian ліпити (lipyty, “to mould, shape”), Sanskrit लिप् (lip, “to anoint, smear; to defile, soil, taint”), रिप् (rip, “deceit, fraud; injury; enemy, traitor”).

Etymology 2

An apheretic form of alive.

Word family
Idioms22 entries

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