variants or less commonly life-or-death
: involving or culminating in life or death : vitally important as if involving life or death

Examples of life-and-death in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Few people have mined as much entertainment from the contrast between high stakes and low morals — from how the life-and-death concerns of a big heist or an elaborate conspiracy might ultimately just reinforce the sense that nothing matters, and nobody gets out alive. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025 But when a snitch blows the whistle on an upcoming shipment, José Antonio’s ultimate life-and-death battle for power ensues. John Hopewell, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025 Advertisement These are not good odds, especially for something as life-and-death in scope as a pandemic. Dr. Seth Berkley, Time, 26 Sep. 2025 With their senseless violence, these killers are bringing a part of that networked, online chaos to tangible, life-and-death reality. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for life-and-death

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of life-and-death was in 1804

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Cite this Entry

“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-and-death. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

life-and-death

adjective
: ending in life or death : deciding which will survive
a life-and-death struggle

More from Merriam-Webster on life-and-death

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