dead or alive

adjective

Either dead or alive.

“Wanted: dead or alive.”

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Meanings

adjectivedead or alive (not comparable)
  1. not comparableEither dead or alive.
  2. not comparableUsed to indicate someone is being sought for some kind of punishment or reprimand, and that (s)he may be killed in the process of finding, as if this was reasonable punishment.

    Wanted: dead or alive.

Origin

From usage in wanted posters in the 19th century American West and, especially in popular drama about the American West in that period.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حَيّ أَوْ مَيِّت
  • حَيّ أَوْ مَيِّت (ḥayy ʔaw mayyit)wanted poster term
Chinese Mandarin 活要见人死要见尸
  • 活要见人死要见尸 (huó yào jiàn rén sǐ yào jiàn shī)wanted poster term
Czech živého či mrtvého
  • živého či mrtvéhowanted poster term
Finnish elävänä tai kuolleena
  • elävänä tai kuolleenawanted poster term
French mort ou vif
  • mort ou vifwanted poster term
German tot oder lebendig
  • tot oder lebendigwanted poster term
Hungarian élve vagy halva
  • élve vagy halvawanted poster term
Icelandic dauður eða lifandi, lífs eða liðinn
  • dauður eða lifandiwanted poster term
  • lífs eða liðinnwanted poster term
Italian vivo o morto
  • vivo o mortowanted poster term
Polish żywy czy martwy
  • żywy czy martwywanted poster term
Romanian viu sau mort
  • viu sau mortwanted poster term
Spanish vivo o muerto
  • vivo o muertowanted poster term
Cite this entry
APA

dead or alive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dead%20or%20alive

MLA

“dead or alive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dead%20or%20alive. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dead or alive,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dead%20or%20alive.

Source: dead or alive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.