Phrase guide

live load

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Temporary load that the roof structure must be designed to support, as required by governing building codes. Live loads are generally moving and/or dynamic or environmental (e.g. people, installation equipment, snow, ice or rain).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: business, construction, manufacturing, roofing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a variable load on a structure (e.g. a bridge) such as moving traffic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: superload

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: load, loading, burden

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 活荷重 — roofing
  • Finnish: hyötykuorma — roofing
  • Indonesian: beban hidup — roofing