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life imprisonment

British

noun

(in Britain) an indeterminate sentence always given for murder and as a maximum sentence in several other crimes. There is no remission, although the Home Secretary may order the prisoner's release on licence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Misconduct in public office is defined by the British Crown Prosecution Service as the “serious wilful abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the public office” and can result in life imprisonment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

This level of complexity means that if someone is convicted, each case is sentenced differently, even though in theory the maximum is life imprisonment.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

South Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol capped a remarkable fall from grace on Thursday when he was sentenced to life imprisonment over his bungled efforts to impose military rule.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

If convicted of misconduct in public office, Mountbatten-Windsor could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

This lady’s grandson might be facing life imprisonment without parole, but given the overwhelming number of death penalty cases on our docket, I couldn’t rationalize taking on his case.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023