lifeblood

noun

life·​blood ˈlīf-ˈbləd 

-ˌbləd

1

: blood regarded as the seat of vitality

2

: a vital or life-giving force or component

freedom of inquiry is the lifeblood of a university

Examples of lifeblood in a Sentence

The town's lifeblood has always been its fishing industry.

The neighborhoods are the lifeblood of this city.

the lifeblood that flows through his veins

Recent Examples on the Web

The 1,400-mile artery is the lifeblood of the Southwest, irrigating more than 5 million acres of farmland, generating enough electricity to power around 700,000 homes and providing water for 40 million people. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Oil production, the lifeblood of the economy, had plummeted after years of graft, underinvestment, and sanctions. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 30 July 2026

Tom’s evolution from a young advisor to a cornerstone of our firm perfectly illustrates why mentorship is the lifeblood of any thriving organization. — Corey McQuade, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

This, in turn, slashed creator revenues and sent independent creators—the emotional lifeblood of the platform—into uproar. — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lifeblood

• waterflood
• blood
• bud
• crud
• dud
• flood
• mud
• rud
• scud
• spud
• stud
• thud

Kids Definition

lifeblood

noun

life·​blood ˈlīf-ˈbləd 

: something that gives strength and energy