viva

V4I1V4A1
/ˈviː.və//ˈvaɪ.və/

interjection

Long live ... ! (used to express acclaim or support).

Less commonScrabble 10

Meanings

viva1

interjectionviva!
  1. Long live ... ! (used to express acclaim or support).

    The message has been mostly perverted from the moment of his death, but it hasn't been invalidated. So, viva Jesus of Nazareth and joy to the world!

    1986 February 8, Emma Whitby, “Old Testament Claptrap?”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 29, page 5
verbviva (third-person singular simple present vivas, present participle vivaing, simple past and past participle vivaed)

present singular third person vivas · participle present vivaing · participle past vivaed · past vivaed

  1. ambitransitivedatedTo cheer, applaud

    ...did you not hear how the beasts last night were cheering and vivaing those French heretics?

    1857, George Payne R James, Leonora d'Orco
    2 more examples

    ...the people clapped and vivaed, groaned and hooted, as they were pleased or disappointed, until at length the intense excitement began to subside...

    1841, Joseph Bullar, Henry Bullar, A winter in the Azores, and a summer at the baths of the Furnas

    The next evening Paine went to the theatre. The state-box had been prepared for him. The house rose and vivaed as he entered.

    1859, The Atlantic Monthly
nounviva (plural vivas)

plural vivas

  1. A shout of applause.

    When the cibolero returned to the plain, he was received with a fresh burst of vivas, and kerchiefs were waved to greet him.

    1855, Mayne Reid, The White Chief: A Legend of Northern Mexico, page 89

viva2

nounviva (plural vivas)

plural vivas

  1. An oral examination, typically for an academic qualification.
verbviva (third-person singular simple present vivas, present participle vivaing, simple past and past participle vivaed)

present singular third person vivas · participle present vivaing · participle past vivaed · past vivaed

  1. transitiveTo subject to an examination of this kind.

    I was vivaed by Charles Cannan, who was then a Fellow of Trinity...

    1931, Henry Sanderson Furniss Sanderson, Memories of sixty years
    2 more examples

    Throughout his life, he took college responsibilities seriously, he came to All Souls whenever possible on weekends, he vivaed or interviewed candidates...

    1972, The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History

    My doctoral thesis was vivaed three years before the publication of the revised and expanded edition of Richard H. Popkin's work...

    2009, Gianni Paganini, Jose Raimundo Maia Neto, Renaissance Scepticisms

ViVa3

proper noun
  1. a region of Manhattanville, Harlem, New York City

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan examination conducted by spoken communication

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

viva · interjection, verb, noun

  1. Italianviva
  2. Spanishviva
  3. Englishviva

Borrowed from Spanish viva and Italian viva.

Full word history & related roots →

viva · noun, verb

Shortened from viva voce, Latin for “live voice”

Full word history & related roots →

ViVa · proper noun

Abbreviation of Viaduct Valley

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with viva

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

viva. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viva

MLA

“viva.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viva. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “viva,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/viva.

Source: viva on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.