Meanings
present singular third person lives and lets live · participle present living and letting live · participle past lived and let live · past lived and let live
- idiomaticTo be tolerant; to enjoy the pleasures and opportunities which life offers and to allow others to do the same.
‘Live and let live’ is my motto: let me alone and I'll let you alone.
1903, Arthur Quiller-Couch, chapter 36, in Hetty Wesley2 more examples
"Hout, neighbour," said Mrs. Howden, "we suld live and let live—we hae been young oursells, and we are no aye to judge the warst when lads and lasses forgather."
1818, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 23, in The Heart of Mid-LothianOur Europe policy is simple: live and let live, flourish and let flourish. That is a modern and mature approach.
2004 April 22, Michael Ancram, “If the British people vote no, Europe will thank them”, in guardian.co.uk, retrieved 14 Jun 2008
Origin
- Dutchleven en laten leven
- Englishlive and let live
Possibly a calque of Dutch leven en laten leven, which was mentioned by Gerard de Malynes in a 1622 book about trade law (in the then-current spelling leuen ende laeten leuen).
More words from Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 己立立人，己達達人 /己立立人, 己达达人
- 己立立人，己達達人 /己立立人be tolerant
- 己达达人 (jǐlìlìrén, jǐdádárén)be tolerant
Czech žít a nechat žít
- žít a nechat žítbe tolerant
Dutch leven en laten leven
- leven en laten levenbe tolerant
Finnish elää ja antaa toistenkin elää
- elää ja antaa toistenkin elääbe tolerant
French vivre et laisser vivre
- vivre et laisser vivrebe tolerant
German leben und leben lassen
- leben und leben lassenbe tolerant
Hebrew חֲיֵה וְתֵן לִחְיוֹת
- חֲיֵה וְתֵן לִחְיוֹת (chayé vetén lichyót)be tolerant
Hindi जीयो और जीने दो
- जीयो और जीने दो (jīyo aur jīne do)be tolerant
Hungarian élni és élni hagyni
- élni és élni hagynibe tolerant
Italian vivi e lascia vivere
- vivi e lascia viverebe tolerant
Japanese 生きて生きよ, 共存共栄
- 生きて生きよ (ikite ikiyo)be tolerant
- 共存共栄 (kyōzon kyōei)be tolerant
Norwegian lev og la leve
- lev og la levebe tolerant
Portuguese viver e deixar viver
- viver e deixar viverbe tolerant
Romanian trăiește și lasă să trăiască
- trăiește și lasă să trăiascăbe tolerant
Russian живи́ и дай жить други́м, сам живи́ и други́м жить не меша́й
- живи́ и дай жить други́м (živí i daj žitʹ drugím)be tolerant
- сам живи́ и други́м жить не меша́й (sam živí i drugím žitʹ ne mešáj)be tolerant
Slovak žiť a nechať žiť
- žiť a nechať žiťbe tolerant
Spanish vivir y dejar vivir
- vivir y dejar vivirbe tolerant
Swedish lev och låt leva
- lev och låt levabe tolerant
Tamil வாழு, வாழ விடு
- வாழு, வாழ விடு (vāḻu, vāḻa viṭu)be tolerant
Turkish yaşa ve yaşat
- yaşa ve yaşatbe tolerant
Urdu جیو اور جینے دو
- جیو اور جینے دو (jyo or jene do)be tolerant
Cite this entry
live and let live. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/live%20and%20let%20live
“live and let live.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/live%20and%20let%20live. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “live and let live,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/live%20and%20let%20live.
Source: live and let live on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.