lifetime
Americannoun
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lifetimes
plural
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the time that the life of someone or something continues; the term of a life.
peace within our lifetime.
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Physics. mean life.
adjective
noun
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the length of time a person or animal is alive
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( as modifier )
a lifetime supply
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the length of time that something functions, is useful, etc
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physics the average time of existence of an unstable or reactive entity, such as a nucleus, excited state, elementary particle, etc; mean life
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lifetime
First recorded in 1175–1225, lifetime is from the Middle English word liftime. See life, time
Explanation
A lifetime is the entire length of time a person or other living thing is alive. After a famous actor dies, she may be fondly remembered for a lifetime of great movie roles. Things that take up most of the duration of a person's life are often described using the word lifetime, like a terrible driver's lifetime ban on holding a driver's license, or a lifetime achievement award for all of your accomplishments. You can also talk about the lifetime of an object, or the length of time it's useful, and use lifetime figuratively, to mean "a very long time."
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.
See Examples For:
Over time, that caution can compound into a materially different career and lower lifetime earnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from international soccer with Portugal on Thursday, although he plans to continue his more than two decade-long career and quest for 1,000 lifetime goals with Saudi club team Al-Nassr.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
He told the crowd the campaign against him had been one of the ugliest seen in their lifetime.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
After spending a lifetime working and accumulating wealth, I want to experience some of the rewards while I am healthy enough to enjoy them.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
I know I could go a lifetime without setting eyes on that little lamb Pa carved out of wood.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
Using this type of flat rate structure would significantly decrease the amount that beneficiaries receive over their lifetimes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
In 2015, Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, pledged to give away 99% of his Facebook shares over their lifetimes when they celebrated the birth of their first daughter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
He called himself "Sir Wicknell", a nod to the embellishment that epitomised his lifestyle - and a nickname some used for the 45-year-old who packed enough controversy into his short life to last several lifetimes.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
You see it in the professionals, who play better golf than we could play in 30 lifetimes, but then bogey a crucial hole and return to the clubhouse emotionally crushed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
It feels like a lifetime ago, like several lifetimes.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
