Life vs Live
There is a marked difference between life and live. They, live and life, are two words characterized by difference in usage too. Life is existence whereas live is the act of existing with life. Life is a noun. At the same time, live which gives the meaning of existing with life, is an adjective. According to the Oxford English dictionary, life as “the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.” The definition given to live is “not dead or inanimate; living,” and “relating to a musical performance given in concert, not on a recording” as well as “(of a question or subject) of current or continuing interest and importance.” This article presents to you the difference between life and live as clearly as possible.
What does Life mean?
Life is possible only in the event of a combination of constituents that make the act of living possible. The constituents that help in the act of living are air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and the like. Human beings need oxygen for survival whereas plants need carbon dioxide for survival. Plants need carbon dioxide for the process of photosynthesis.
The term ‘life’ is used in the sense of something without which a phenomenon, a form or a system cannot exist. Observe the sentences such as, ‘sentiment is the life of poetry’, ‘you are my life’ and ‘the sport of hockey is the very life of the villagers’.
What does Live mean?
If live is considered as a verb, it means “ remain alive.” For example,
William Shakespeare lived during the Elizabethan era.
The word ‘live’ is used to convey the sense of anything happening at the same moment. Observe the usages such as ‘live commentary’ and ‘live recording’. A ‘live show’ is a show of an event as and when it is happening. A live event is an event characterized by the presence of beings with life. A live dance performance is characterized by the presence of beings that are endowed with life, namely the dancers.
What is the difference between Life and Live?
The word ‘live’ is used in an imperative sense in sentences such as ‘live and let live’ and ‘live happily’. In the same way observe the usage of the word ‘life’ in sentences such as ‘lead the life of a saint’ and ‘incidents in the life of Thomas Alva Edison’. In the sentence, ‘lead the life of a saint’, the word ‘life’ implies the nature of the life of a saint, whereas in the sentence, ‘incidents in the life of Thomas Alva Edison’, the word ‘life’ is concerned with that of Edison.
Summary:
Live vs Life
• Life is a noun. Live is an adjective. It also acts as the verb form of the noun life.
• Life is existence whereas live is the act of existing with life.
• As a verb live is also used in sentences in an imperative sense.
Further Reading: