1.
alive; living; still surviving
The state of being alive, especially when referring to someone elderly or historically significant. A formal word often used to note that someone is still living.
祖母はまだ存命だ。
My grandmother is still alive.
存命中に会いたかった。
I wanted to meet them while they were still alive.
戦争体験者で存命の方は年々少なくなっている。
The number of surviving war veterans decreases year by year.
A formal word meaning "alive" or "still living," used primarily when discussing whether notable or elderly people are still alive. It carries a respectful, documentary tone and is common in biographical writing, obituaries, and historical accounts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 存命中 — while still alive, during one's lifetime
- 存命の人物 — a living person (notable figure)
- まだ存命だ — is still alive
- 存命であれば — if (they) were still alive
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 生存 — survival, being alive; broader term, often used in emergency/disaster contexts
- 健在 — alive and well; emphasizes being in good health, not just alive
- 在世 — being in the world; literary/Buddhist term for being alive