Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

life science

American  

noun

  1. any science that deals with living organisms, their life processes, and their interrelationships, as biology, medicine, or ecology.


life science British  

noun

  1. any one of the branches of science concerned with the structure and behaviour of living organisms, such as biology, botany, zoology, physiology, or biochemistry Compare physical science See also social science

"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

life science Scientific  
  1. Any of several branches of science, such as biology, medicine, and ecology, that study the structural and functional organization of living organisms and their relationships to each other and the environment.

  2. Compare physical science


Other Word Forms

  • life scientist noun

Etymology

Origin of life science

First recorded in 1940–45

Compare meaning

How does life-science compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

Because the method can prolong the viability of biological materials, it has the potential to benefit many areas of life science research and application.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

His co-founder and co-CEO, Vik Bajaj, is a professor at Stanford’s School of Medicine who previously co-founded Google’s life science division, Verily.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Visser also pointed out that the AI start-up Anthropic External link, the developer of the Claude LLM, has been hiring more life science researchers as of late.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

“Investors are more selective across the board,” said Jackie Spencer, SVB’s head of relationship management for life science and healthcare banking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 31, 2025

Meanwhile, think over the sponge and its ways, and learn from it that out of the dry things of life, science weaves many a fairy tale.

From Young Folks' Library, Volume XI (of 20) Wonders of Earth, Sea and Sky by Holden, Edward Singleton