life sentence
noun
plural life sentences
: a sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of a convicted person's life when there is no possibility of parole or for a minimum number of years under applicable law until the convicted person becomes eligible for and is granted parole
Examples of life sentence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' office announced Friday that 25-year-old Zion Young received a 50-year-to-life sentence after being found guilty in the death of Kelvin Chew.
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Tim Fang, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Each of those six charges carries a possible life sentence in prison.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
Ulbricht was serving a life sentence on multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and money laundering.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Lee’s lawyers on Wednesday argued that a life sentence would be unjust given her mental health issues, but prosecutors said there was no evidence Lee was suicidal at the time of the killings, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.
—Reuters 14 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for life sentence
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Tim Fang, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Each of those six charges carries a possible life sentence in prison.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
Ulbricht was serving a life sentence on multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and money laundering.
—Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Lee’s lawyers on Wednesday argued that a life sentence would be unjust given her mental health issues, but prosecutors said there was no evidence Lee was suicidal at the time of the killings, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.
—Reuters 14 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for life sentence
Cite this Entry
“Life sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20sentence. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
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