lifeline

American  

[lahyf-lahyn] / ˈlaɪfˌlaɪn /

noun

• lifelines
  plural

1. a line, fired across a ship or boat, by means of which a hawser for a breeches buoy may be hauled aboard.

2. a line or rope for saving life, as one attached to a lifeboat.

3. any of various lines running above the decks, spars, etc., of a ship or boat to give sailors something to grasp when there is danger of falling or being washed away.

4. a wire safety rope supported by stanchions along the edge of the deck of a yacht.

5. the line by which a diver is lowered and raised.

6. any of several anchored lines used by swimmers for support.

7. a route or means of transportation or communication for receiving or delivering food, medicine, or assistance.

   This road is the town's lifeline and must be kept open despite the snow.

8. assistance at a critical time.

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lifeline British  

/ ˈlaɪfˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a line thrown or fired aboard a vessel for hauling in a hawser for a breeches buoy

2. any rope or line attached to a vessel or trailed from it for the safety of passengers, crew, swimmers, etc

3. a line by which a deep-sea diver is raised or lowered

4. a vital line of access or communication

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lifelines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lifeline

First recorded in 1690–1700; life + line ¹

Explanation

A lifeline is a safety feature on a boat, a rope that either protects you from falling off or that you can throw to someone who's drowning. If you stumble off your friend's sailboat into the water, she'll throw you a lifeline. When sailors need to rescue a swimmer or a clumsy passenger, it helps to have a lifeline handy. And when you receive other kinds of vital support or help — a mobile phone, or a job recommendation, or a scholarship for college, for example — you can also call them lifelines. This figurative meaning has been around since the 19th century, while the "live-saving rope" definition is the earliest one, from about 1700.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lifeline lifelines

It’s also an indirect lifeline to the private sector.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The idea behind the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is to provide a lifeline for mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains, locked in by traffic and suffering from the effects of inbreeding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Shelter and counseling can offer a lifeline to those vulnerable adolescents.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

Editor’s note: The national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

There's no one I can call, but the phone still feels like a lifeline.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

Rachel Mulrenan, Ramblers' campaigns manager, said local paths were "lifelines" which connected people with green space, fresh air, and mental and physical health.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

"But there is also a serious point about how we communicate with each other and how these phone boxes are often vital rural lifelines."

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

But I saw, up close, how thoroughly the system deprives people from the lifelines of family connection they need.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Aschenbrenner scrambled for lifelines while preparing for his unfortunately timed wedding in a seaside town in Northern California.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

And she had stainless steel lifelines all around and a small cabin in the middle with two plastic portholes on each side.

From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen