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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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈfɒsl̩/
General-American:/ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈfɑsl̩/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any species discovered first as a fossil and believed extinct, but which is later found living; an organism that has remained unchanged over geological periods.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: evolutionary theory
Examples
The coelacanth and the dawn redwood are living fossils.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives in most anatomical details.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: evolutionary theory
Examples
Crocodiles are living fossils that haven’t changed their appearance much in millions of years.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
The term was coined by the English biologist, geologist, and naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) in his work On the Origin of Species (1859): see the quotation below.
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
lewende fossiel
— species believed extinct but later found living
Arabic:
حفرية حية
— species believed extinct but later found living
Basque:
fosil bizidun
— species believed extinct but later found living
Belarusian:
жывы выкапень
(žyvy vykapjenʹ)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Bulgarian:
живи вкаменелости
(živi vkamenelosti)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Catalan:
fòssil vivent
— species believed extinct but later found living
Chinese Cantonese:
活化石
(wut6 faa3 sek6)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Chinese Mandarin:
活化石
(huóhuàshí)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Czech:
živoucí fosílie
— species believed extinct but later found living
Dutch:
levend fossiel
— species believed extinct but later found living
Esperanto:
vivanta fosilio
— species believed extinct but later found living
Estonian:
elav fossiil
— species believed extinct but later found living
Finnish:
elävä fossiili
— species believed extinct but later found living
French:
fossile vivant
— species believed extinct but later found living
Georgian:
ცოცხალი ნამარხი
(cocxali namarxi)
— species believed extinct but later found living
German:
Dauerform
— species believed extinct but later found living
German:
lebendes Fossil
— species believed extinct but later found living
Hebrew:
מאובן חי
— species believed extinct but later found living
Hindi:
जीवित जीवाश्म
(jīvit jīvāśma)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Hungarian:
élő kövület
— species believed extinct but later found living
Indonesian:
fosil hidup
— species believed extinct but later found living
Irish:
iontaise bheo
— species believed extinct but later found living
Italian:
fossile vivente
— species believed extinct but later found living
Japanese:
生きている化石
(ikiteiru kaseki)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Japanese:
生きた化石
(ikita kaseki)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Kazakh:
тіpі қазындылар
(tıpı qazyndylar)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Korean:
살아 있는 화석
(sara inneun hwaseok)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Limburgish:
laevend fossiel
— species believed extinct but later found living
Lithuanian:
gyvoji fosilija
— species believed extinct but later found living
Malayalam:
സജീവഫോസിൽ
(sajīvaphōsil)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Norwegian Bokmål:
levende fossil
— species believed extinct but later found living
Occitan:
fossil vivent
— species believed extinct but later found living
Persian:
فسیل زنده
— species believed extinct but later found living
Polish:
żywa skamieniałość
— species believed extinct but later found living
Polish:
żywa skamielina
— species believed extinct but later found living
Portuguese:
fóssil vivo
— species believed extinct but later found living
Punjabi:
جیوندے پتھری جاندار
(jeyonde pthrī jāndār)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Romanian:
fosilă vie
— species believed extinct but later found living
Russian:
живые ископаемые
(živyje iskopajemyje)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Slovak:
živé fosílie
— species believed extinct but later found living
Slovak:
žijúce skameneniny
— species believed extinct but later found living
Slovene:
živi fosil
— species believed extinct but later found living
Spanish:
fósil viviente
— species believed extinct but later found living
Swedish:
levande fossil
— species believed extinct but later found living
Tamil:
வாழும் தொல்லுயிர் எச்சம்
(vāḻum tolluyir eccam)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Telugu:
సజీవ శిలాజాలు
(sajīva śilājālu)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Thai:
ซากดึกดําบรรพ์มีชีวิต
— species believed extinct but later found living
Turkish:
yaşayan fosil
— species believed extinct but later found living
Ukrainian:
живі викопні
(žyvi vykopni)
— species believed extinct but later found living
Vietnamese:
hóa thạch sống
— species believed extinct but later found living
Chinese Cantonese:
活化石
(wut6 faa3 sek6)
— living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives
Chinese Mandarin:
活化石
(huóhuàshí)
— living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives
Dutch:
levend fossiel
— living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives
Finnish:
elävä fossiili
— living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives
Georgian:
ცოცხალი ნამარხი
(cocxali namarxi)
— living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives