life-or-death
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of life-or-death
First recorded in 1680–90
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.
Related: They have millions in the bank — but without kids, who makes their life-or-death decisions?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
Dr Gillespie said issues with availability can mean they are often called into highly emotional situations at short notice, sometimes moving between a christening and a life-or-death situation in hospital.
From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025
But there’s a difference—and it’s a life-or-death difference now—between protest and incitement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
A reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 thriller “High and Low,” “Highest 2 Lowest” stars Washington as a wealthy music mogul whose livelihood is threatened by a life-or-death ransom demand.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025
There were those who said that it was just a horrible accident, an inevitable by-product of the fact that police officers sometimes have to make life-or-death decisions in conditions of uncertainty.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
