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Synonyms

once in a lifetime

Idioms  

  1. Extremely rare, especially as an opportunity. For example, An offer like that will come just once in a lifetime. This phrase, often used hyperbolically, was first recorded in 1854. Also see of one's life.

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.

The camaraderie among the crew and the teams supporting them on the ground, she said, was a once in a lifetime privilege.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

“Once in a lifetime. Well, hopefully not once in a lifetime, but the first in a lifetime.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

But what happened in Paris last spring might just have been once in a lifetime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

"A job like this is really once in a lifetime, so just go for it."

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

“This is once in a lifetime, Nailer. We play it smart, or we’re screwed for life.”

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

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.