Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

life lesson

British  

noun

  1. something from which useful knowledge or principles can be learned

"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.

That’s more of a life lesson than I thought I would receive when I bought it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

When I see comedians indulge in that, where they’re giving a life lesson talk, I want to tell them, “No one came here for this. You are there to be funny.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025

"The biggest life lesson I have learned from him is that, even if you really want to express something, there are hundreds of millions of people watching, and the way you do it is super-important."

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2024

In the tribute video to Ms. Hayden that was posted on “The Simpsons” social media accounts, Ms. Hayden said that Milhouse provides a great life lesson in perseverance and optimism.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2024

Peter always had a Bible verse or life lesson to apply to fencing, and his loud, booming voice could always be heard above the sounds in the cavernous fencing club.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "life lesson" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com