adj
Meaning 1
Either dead or alive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
dead or alive
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
adj
Meaning 2
Used to indicate someone is being sought for some kind of punishment or reprimand, and that (s)he may be killed in the process of finding, as if this was reasonable punishment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- Wanted: dead or alive.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From usage in wanted posters in the 19th century American West and, especially in popular drama about the American West in that period.
Across languages
Translations
13 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: حَيّ أَوْ مَيِّت (ḥayy ʔaw mayyit) — wanted poster term
- Chinese Mandarin: 活要见人死要见尸 (huó yào jiàn rén sǐ yào jiàn shī) — wanted poster term
- Czech: živého či mrtvého — wanted poster term
- Finnish: elävänä tai kuolleena — wanted poster term
- French: mort ou vif — wanted poster term
- German: tot oder lebendig — wanted poster term
- Hungarian: élve vagy halva — wanted poster term
- Icelandic: dauður eða lifandi — wanted poster term
- Icelandic: lífs eða liðinn — wanted poster term
- Italian: vivo o morto — wanted poster term
- Polish: żywy czy martwy — wanted poster term
- Romanian: viu sau mort — wanted poster term
- Spanish: vivo o muerto — wanted poster term