CultureAugust 12, 2026

survivalist

sur-VAI-vuh-list

Definition

A person who believes in, prepares for, or actively practices techniques for surviving catastrophic events or the breakdown of social order.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'supervivere' (to outlive), the term evolved in the mid-20th century to describe those preparing for societal collapse, combining the root 'survival' with the suffix '-ist' denoting an adherent or practitioner.

In the news

In the context of film festival coverage, survivalist is likely used to describe a genre or theme of a submitted entry focusing on human endurance in extreme, post-collapse, or isolated environments.

Nukhufest 2026 Opens Audience Voting With 39 Semi-Finalists From 17 Countries Ahead of Cinema Village Run

Read the full article ↗

FilmInk

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.