quality of life

noun phrase

: overall enjoyment of life : general well-being

… the male characters on the show not only have a better chance of survival; they're also more likely to improve their quality of life through friendship.

—Juliet Lapidos

specifically : the degree to which a person or group is healthy, comfortable, and able to enjoy the activities of daily living

Migraine is a common disorder that can severely affect patients' quality of life and daily function.

—New England Journal of Medicine

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

A number of recent surveys have identified noise as New York City's greatest quality-of-life issue.

—Tom Vanderbilt

—abbreviation QOL

Examples of quality of life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The dollars can be added up, economics can be spun any number of ways, as always, but in terms of quality of life the impact of the three franchises can be felt, if not measured. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026

One study found that IPC can help reduce swelling, improve mobility and support quality of life by encouraging fluid movement through the lymphatic system. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026

These cities and towns promised better jobs, cheaper homes, less traffic and higher quality of life, outweighing Florida’s allure of tropical weather and ease of getting by on Spanish alone. — Elliot Spagat, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

These cities and towns promised better jobs, cheaper homes, less traffic and higher quality of life, outweighing Florida's allure of tropical weather and ease of getting by on Spanish alone. — CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quality of life

• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife
• wildlife