lifeline

American  

[lahyf-lahyn] / ˈlaɪfˌlaɪn /

noun

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 line 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 line 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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Etymology

Origin of lifeline

First recorded in 1690–1700; life + line ¹

Example Sentences

An overwhelming majority of system users in a study commissioned by the agency that oversees the lifeline said they found it helpful and potentially lifesaving.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

But trade with China, much of it through Dandong, is a key lifeline for North Korea's moribund economy, under UN sanctions because of its nuclear weapons programme.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Robert Aprill, a partner at Physician Growth Partners, a firm that connects doctors with investors, said that most physicians come to his company looking for a lifeline.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026

Closing these channels and freezing the funds they hold would strike directly at the regime’s financial lifeline.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

And gradually she stopped moving; the lifeline held fast, and she felt the weight and strength of the current pushing against her as she hung there in the sky.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman