lifelong
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of lifelong
Explanation
Something lifelong lasts your entire life, or for most of it. A lifelong friendship might have begun in kindergarten, and it continues today. You can describe your grandfather as a lifelong Republican if he's voted for the Republican candidate in every election all through his life. You could also say you have a lifelong hatred of green vegetables if you've refused broccoli and spinach since you first ate solid food. The word lifelong, meaning "continuing for a lifetime," was coined in the nineteenth century.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A lifelong reader, Jeselnik has transformed his literary habit into a popular online book club, Jeselnik Book Club, where he recommends novels and invites discussion on his YouTube channel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
“I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” Berg, a lifelong soccer fan and player, said in a statement released by the league.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The lifelong gearhead and his teenage sons maintain the family’s four cars—all bought in the 2010s—so they can stay analog as long as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Ann Lush, 86, was raised alongside her brother by her grandmother, who was widowed during World War Two, and said her childhood inspired her lifelong commitment to helping young people.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Your mother was very beautiful but smelled strongly of onions, a lifelong condition she could do nothing to cure.”
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
