lifetime

[ lahyf-tahym ]

noun

1. the time that the life of someone or something continues; the term of a life:

   peace within our lifetime.

2. Physics. mean life.

adjective

1. for the duration of a person's life:

   He has a lifetime membership in the organization.

lifetime

/ ˈlaɪfˌtaɪm /

noun

1. 1. the length of time a person or animal is alive
   2. ( as modifier )

      a lifetime supply

2. the length of time that something functions, is useful, etc
3. physics the average time of existence of an unstable or reactive entity, such as a nucleus, excited state, elementary particle, etc; mean life

Word History and Origins

Origin of lifetime¹

First recorded in 1175–1225, lifetime is from the Middle English word liftime. See life, time

Example Sentences

This is the strongest storm to hit the region in any resident’s lifetime, and the area will be recovering from the storm for a long time.

From Popular-Science

That being said, I don’t think you’re going to see a Republican or a Democrat president, at least in my lifetime, that is anything like this.

From Ozy

Seeing an eclipse of the sun by Pluto is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

From Nautilus

For example, when a virtual gluon splits into two virtual quarks, the quarks’ possible lifetimes can vary.

From Quanta Magazine

Peter Timmer has seen a lot of change in the farming business over his lifetime.

From Freakonomics

The sad fact is that more than 41 percent of trans people admit making at least one suicide attempt in their lifetime.

From The Daily Beast

If you answered seven or more of these correctly, you are eligible for a lifetime supply of Metamucil.

From The Daily Beast

Having graduated Juilliard last spring, Alex Sharp is too young to have given the performance of a lifetime.

From The Daily Beast

Det. Rafael Ramos spent a lifetime trying to become a police officer, entering the academy at age 38.

From The Daily Beast

Each well requires 1,500—2,000 truck trips over the lifetime of the well.

From The Daily Beast

This new nexus of print has grown up in the lifetime of four or five generations, and it is undergoing constant changes.

From Project Gutenberg

I didnt think much of that, but he said afterward, A man may do in an hour what he cant undo in a lifetime.

From Project Gutenberg

She meets a sympathetic soul, and you come across her pouring into his ear the love and despair of a lifetime.

From Project Gutenberg

I wonder if I am letting slip through my fingers one of the opportunities that come to a man but once in a lifetime!

From Project Gutenberg

In contrast to this we have the story of the ghost of a lady of title, who had been in her lifetime Princess Anna of Saxony.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• career
• life
• period