lifetime
Americannoun
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lifetimes
plural
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the time that the life of someone or something continues; the term of a life.
peace within our lifetime.
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Physics. mean life.
adjective
noun
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the length of time a person or animal is alive
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( as modifier )
a lifetime supply
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the length of time that something functions, is useful, etc
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physics the average time of existence of an unstable or reactive entity, such as a nucleus, excited state, elementary particle, etc; mean life
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lifetime
First recorded in 1175–1225, lifetime is from the Middle English word liftime. See life, time
Explanation
A lifetime is the entire length of time a person or other living thing is alive. After a famous actor dies, she may be fondly remembered for a lifetime of great movie roles. Things that take up most of the duration of a person's life are often described using the word lifetime, like a terrible driver's lifetime ban on holding a driver's license, or a lifetime achievement award for all of your accomplishments. You can also talk about the lifetime of an object, or the length of time it's useful, and use lifetime figuratively, to mean "a very long time."
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.
See Examples For:
"If you want to condemn the poor to poverty, make them lifetime renters," he says.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Vincent van Gogh, who only sold a handful of paintings during his lifetime, is the classic example.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The yearly adjustments for inflation that the government makes to various tax inputs present an opportunity for those trying to minimize their lifetime tax bill and optimize their retirement strategies.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Building a global platform designed to bring new, younger, and more diverse fans to the sport of golf has been the round of a lifetime for all of us,” O’Neil said in a statement Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Old Methuselah could only remember three other such summers in his long lifetime.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Surprisingly, most of them returned less than Treasury bills over their lifetimes, and about 4% of companies produced all the market’s net gains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Using this type of flat rate structure would significantly decrease the amount that beneficiaries receive over their lifetimes.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
In 2015, Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, pledged to give away 99% of his Facebook shares over their lifetimes when they celebrated the birth of their first daughter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Scientists therefore expect stars with fewer heavy elements to produce weaker winds and lose less mass during their lifetimes.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
It feels like a lifetime ago, like several lifetimes.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
