survivalist

noun

sur·​viv·​al·​ist sər-ˈvī-və-list How to pronounce survivalist (audio)
: a person who advocates or practices survivalism
especially : one who has prepared to survive in the anarchy of an anticipated breakdown of society
survivalist adjective

Examples of survivalist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The loneliness of the long-distance grieving survivalist is the main preoccupation of The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott’s moody, surprisingly sensitive adaptation of Scott Heller’s 2012 novel. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 Bardem plays Miguel, a celebrated architect tempted by a morally dubious but hugely lucrative commission to build a secret survivalist bunker for a reclusive tech billionaire, Andrew (Paul Dano). — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 Wolfie’s hunt for his missing material leads him on a journey that will unravel a litany of secrets, including the truth behind the mass murder of a survivalist cult, the cancellation of a famous pop star and the Senecan Games themselves. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Let’s look back at the storm that destroyed parts of South Miami-Dade, ripped families from their homes, turned us into survivalists with no power or landmarks — and gave us the determination to rebuild. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for survivalist

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of survivalist was in 1950

Rhymes for survivalist

See All Rhymes for survivalist

Browse Nearby Words

survivalism
survivalist
survival kit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Survivalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survivalist. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All