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Synonyms

life jacket

American  

noun

  1. a sleeveless jacket of buoyant or inflatable construction, for supporting the wearer in deep water and preventing drowning.

life jacket British  

noun

  1. an inflatable sleeveless jacket worn to keep a person afloat when in danger of drowning

"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

Etymology

Origin of life jacket

First recorded in 1865–70

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.

He was not wearing a life jacket at the time, police said.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

"He swam, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on," Bresland told national broadcaster ABC.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

"At this time, you know, the waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on. So anyway, I just keep swimming. I do breaststroke. I do freestyle. Survival backstroke."

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

"He swam in, he reckons, the first two hours with a life jacket on," he told ABC News.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Because he’s strapped to me, everything he throws up is down the front of our life jacket.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Definitions 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.