life-and-death

American  

[lahyf-uhn-deth] / ˈlaɪf ənˈdɛθ /

adjective

1. ending with the death or possible death of one of the participants; crucially important.

   The cobra was engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the mongoose.

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life and death Idioms  

1. see matter of life and death.

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Etymology

Origin of life-and-death

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

Pasadena Fire Capt. Trey Sorensen, who oversaw evacuations from The Terraces and other nearby senior homes, described in a podcast interview the life-and-death circumstances they faced during that evacuation.

From Los Angeles Times

She added the fight with Stellantis represents a life-and-death moment for the country’s automotive sector, which accounts for about 120,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the Dinosaur Coast gallery, the beasts don’t just stand there: They guard their young from predators and engage in fierce life-and-death struggles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Smart, philosophical, at times darkly comic, the series took place at a run-down Boston hospital where, like “The Pitt,” a talented, if beleaguered, staff faced life-and-death choices for often underserved patients.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s nothing like a life-and-death situation turning out “life” to moisten one’s eyes, especially if you or a loved one has spent any time in the medical system, or feared the possibility.

From Los Angeles Times