lifelong
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of lifelong
Explanation
Something lifelong lasts your entire life, or for most of it. A lifelong friendship might have begun in kindergarten, and it continues today. You can describe your grandfather as a lifelong Republican if he's voted for the Republican candidate in every election all through his life. You could also say you have a lifelong hatred of green vegetables if you've refused broccoli and spinach since you first ate solid food. The word lifelong, meaning "continuing for a lifetime," was coined in the nineteenth century.
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 made pizza and played video games and rode Walters’ motorcycle, sparking a lifelong interest.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Being able to quantify the lifelong impact of student debt could have an impact on how Americans think about the “return on investment” of borrowing for higher education.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
It will see Evans star as Martin Gilmour, a journalist shaped by his lifelong friendship with a wealthy and charismatic politician played by Aberystwyth-born Tom Cullen.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The people want to pack it, said Costa Mesa’s Travis Fuller, another lifelong Bruin fan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Waters, a journalist by profession, had written two books on the variation, both of which he presented to Bobby—eventually, he’d teach the boy the intricacies of the game and become a lifelong friend.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
