life-threatening
adjective
life-threat·en·ing
ˈlīf-ˌthre-tᵊn-iŋ 
-ˌthret-niŋ
: capable of causing death : potentially fatal
a life-threatening disease/condition
The injuries are serious but not life-threatening.
Examples of life-threatening in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Understanding life-threatening pregnancies is the baseline for finding ways to treat them.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Those victims, police said, faced non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to be okay.
—Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 6 May 2026
The boy is being treated at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where doctors classified his injuries as serious but not life-threatening, according to the sheriff’s office and local reports.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
The suspect was hit, along with one bystander, a juvenile, who did not sustain life-threatening injuries and is receiving treatment at a hospital.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for life-threatening
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Those victims, police said, faced non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to be okay.
—Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 6 May 2026
The boy is being treated at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where doctors classified his injuries as serious but not life-threatening, according to the sheriff’s office and local reports.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
The suspect was hit, along with one bystander, a juvenile, who did not sustain life-threatening injuries and is receiving treatment at a hospital.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for life-threatening
Cite this Entry
“Life-threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-threatening. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
life-threatening
adjective
life-threat·en·ing
ˈlīf-ˌthret-ən-iŋ
: capable of causing death : potentially fatal
life-threatening injuries
a life-threatening allergic reaction
life-threatening arrhythmia
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
