Survivor's guilt
sur-VY-verz GILT
/sərˈvaɪvərz ɡɪlt/
A feeling of guilt experienced by some who have survived a traumatic event, when others did not.
A specific psychological phenomenon, often seen in combat veterans, disaster survivors, or those who have lost loved ones in tragic circumstances. It's an irrational but powerful feeling.
The story behind the word. "Survivor's guilt" is a compound term. "Survivor" comes from the Latin "supervivere," meaning "to live over or beyond." "Guilt" is from Old English "gylt," meaning "offense" or "sin." The phrase specifically describes the psychological phenomenon where an individual feels unwarranted guilt for having lived through a traumatic event that others did not, often feeling they don't deserve to be alive.
Word relationships
- guilt complex: A general term for persistent feelings of guilt, not specific to survival.
- moral injury (related but distinct): Damage to one's conscience from perpetrating, failing to prevent, or witnessing acts that violate one's moral beliefs.
- relief: A feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress.
- gratitude: The quality of being thankful.
Commonly confused with
- regret: Regret is feeling sorrow for something one has done or failed to do; survivor's guilt is a feeling of guilt for having survived when others did not, often despite no fault of their own.
Word family
- survivor (noun): a person who remains alive after an event in which others have died.
- guilt (noun): the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime.
Collocations
- intense survivor's guilt
- suffer from survivor's guilt
- overcome survivor's guilt
- combat survivor's guilt
Example sentences
- "He carried the heavy burden of survivor's guilt, constantly questioning why he lived when his comrades did not." Describing a soldier's internal struggle.
- "The sole survivor of the plane crash grappled with intense survivor's guilt for years." From a documentary about a plane crash.
Memory hook
The "SURVIVOR" feels "GUILT" for being the one who lived. Guilt for living.
When not to use
For general guilt about actions; it specifically relates to surviving when others perished.
Fun facts
- The term gained prominence after the Holocaust, as psychologists studied the experiences of concentration camp survivors.
Explore more words
guilt-ridden, guilty, compunction, trauma, remorse, remorseful
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