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life imprisonment

British  

noun

  1. (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

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Hui, 67, was sentenced by a Shenzhen court to life imprisonment and ordered to forfeit all of his personal assets, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 20, 2026

Under the new legislation, capital punishment will be replaced with life imprisonment with hard labour.

From BBC Aug. 11, 2026

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm said sentencing juveniles to life imprisonment without parole was unusual because of their youth.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 28, 2026

Under his plea deal with US authorities, Zambada faced a mandatory minimum term of life imprisonment without parole on a racketeering charge.

From Barron's Jul. 20, 2026

She was convicted of multiple charges that triggered a sentence of mandatory life imprisonment without parole.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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