life cycle

noun

1

: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage

2

: life history sense 2

3

: a series of stages through which something (such as an individual, culture, or manufactured product) passes during its lifetime

Examples of life cycle in a Sentence

the life cycle of a shark

Recent Examples on the Web

Consequently, the plant could potentially become net-negative—removing more CO₂ from the atmosphere than the entire system emits during its life cycle. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2026

Still, it’s been 10 years since the wordmark was updated, and in the current fruit fly life cycle of frenzied tech rebirths, that’s almost staid. — Aurich Lawson, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026

These black holes offer astronomers a window into how galaxies grow and evolve over cosmic time, while the stellar sources help researchers better understand everything from stellar activity to the life cycles of stars. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Available in 75 of the Japanese mass-market retailer’s roughly 2,500 stores worldwide, the services are promoted as a national extension of the product life cycle. — Anne D’innocenzio, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for life cycle

• recycle
• motorcycle

Kids Definition

life cycle

noun

1

: the series of stages of form and activity through which a living thing passes from a beginning stage (as an egg) in one individual to the same stage in its offspring

2

: life history sense 1

Medical Definition

life cycle

noun

1

: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage

2

: life history sense 1a