[shawrt-lahyvd, -livd] 
| living or lasting only a little while. |
| short-lived (shôrt'līvd', -lĭvd') adj. Living or lasting only a short time; ephemeral. [short + (long)-lived.] Usage Note: The pronunciation (-līvd) is etymologically correct since the compound is derived from the noun life, rather than from the verb live. But the pronunciation (-lĭvd) is by now so common that it cannot be considered an error. In the most recent survey 43 percent of the Usage Panel preferred (-lĭvd), 39 percent preferred (-līvd), and 18 percent found both pronunciations equally acceptable. |