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.
They offered principles and red lines, including a plea that “AI systems must never be allowed to make life-or-death decisions, especially in military applications.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
Related: They have millions in the bank — but without kids, who makes their life-or-death decisions?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
That movie put Matt Damon alone on Mars and made the act of thinking through one life-or-death problem after another the engine of the story.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 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
Heading to a neighboring camper or the campground offices to ask for a phone to use seems a little extreme—this isn’t exactly life-or-death.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
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.
