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

The source of the Colorado River in the Rocky Mountains is drying up, threatening a critical water lifeline for about 35 million people and 5 million acres of farmland across the Southwest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

With cargo ships blocked from Jebel Ali, the smaller ports of Khor Fakkan and Fujairah on its eastern coast, outside the Persian Gulf, have become an unexpected lifeline for the U.A.E.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Newcastle's Nick Woltemade also was denied by Gill and, despite being given a lifeline with two Paraguay failures, Tah then blasted his attempt over, before defender Jose Canale sealed Paraguay's victory.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

Then SpaceX handed the AI startup a $60 billion lifeline.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026

The Fate held up the snippet of blue yam—and I knew it was the same one I’d seen four years ago, the lifeline I’d watched them snip.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan