lifer

noun

lif·​er ˈlī-fər 

1

: a person sentenced to imprisonment for life

2

: a person who makes a career of one of the armed forces

3

: a person who has made a lifelong commitment (as to a way of life)

Examples of lifer in a Sentence

He was a lifer at the factory.

Recent Examples on the Web

Ron Washington is a baseball lifer, but some recent health concerns will force the Los Angeles Angels manager to take some time away from the game. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025

Bolles, of course, has been a lifer since the doldrums of 2017. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 June 2025

The Orioles in their present form are painful to watch, even for this Orioles lifer. — George Hammerbacher, Catonsville Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 May 2025

Back in October, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves did a fateful super-swap, with Wolves lifer Karl-Anthony Towns traded for two beloved Knicks that helped revive Madison Square Garden. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lifer

• cipher
• cypher
• fifer
• heifer
• pfeiffer
• decipher