survival

Universal Words noun 1 [U] the state of continuing to live or exist, often in spite of difficulty or danger: the struggle / battle / fight for survival * His only chance of survival was a heart transplant. * Exporting is necessary for our economic survival. * Continued trade in these products is a threat to the survival of the species. 2 [C] ~ (from sth) something that has continued to exist from an earlier time SYNRELIC: The ceremony is a survival from pre-Christian times. IDIOMS the survival of the fittest the principle that only the people or things that are best adapted to their surroundings will continue to exist