Archaic term meaning to live improperly, live in a degraded state, or survive by disgraceful means.
From Old English 'forlibban,' combining 'for-' (wrongly, badly) + 'libban' (to live). The prefix here carries a sense of distortion or corruption.
Medieval writers used 'forlive' to describe people living sinfully or shamefully—the 'for-' prefix didn't mean 'without life' but rather 'life lived wrongly,' showing how meanings can flip based on context.
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