life support

noun

: medical equipment, treatments, or medications that temporarily replace or support the function of one or more failing organs in a seriously ill or injured patient and that provide an opportunity for stabilization or recovery

The patient was placed on life support.

A mechanical pump that was invented as a temporary life support for patients with advanced heart failure is emerging as a potential tool to help hearts heal and function for the long term on their own.

—Ron Winslow

The current pediatric and adult life support recommendations suggest an epinephrine administration interval … of 3–5 minutes during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

—Donald H. Shaffner and Clifton W. Callaway

—sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun

life-support equipment

life-support measures

Examples of life support in a Sentence

He was removed from life support.

She was put on life support.

equipment providing life support for astronauts

Recent Examples on the Web

While the crew will not land on the moon, NASA said the lunar flyby mission is designed to test life support systems and critical operations, paving the way for future moon landings and Mars exploration. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026

The mission will also test life support and communication systems aboard the Orion spacecraft and provide the first opportunity for astronauts to manually pilot the vehicle around the moon. —Mathew Schumer, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026

The orbit adjustments are designed to put the astronauts in a highly elliptical 24-hour-long orbit, giving them plenty of time to check out the Orion capsule, making sure the ship's communications, navigation, propulsion and life support systems are working properly before heading to the moon. —Miles Doran, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026

Two months ago, the Warriors' season appeared to be on life support when Stephen Curry was sidelined with lingering issues with a runner's knee. —Logan Brown, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for life support

• abort
• airport
• alport
• athwart
• carport
• comport
• consort
• deport
• distort
• escort
• exhort
• extort

Medical Definition

life support

noun

: medical equipment, treatments, or medications used to temporarily replace or support the function of one or more failing organs in a seriously ill or injured patient and that provide an opportunity for stabilization or recovery

Extracorporeal life support … is used to support the circulation of a patient with severe cardiac failure. The physiologic objective is to provide temporary circulatory support to the vital organs and to unload the failing heart as the injured myocardium attempts to recover.

—Massimo Massetti et al., The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

Most of the patients from whom support was withheld or withdrawn had intracranial lesions, usually the result of trauma. A poor prognosis or brain death prompted the withholding or withdrawal of life support in most patients.

—Nicholas G. Smedira et al., The New England Journal of Medicine

—sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun

The principles of medical ethics permit active, direct euthanasia … as well as passive and indirect forms. The latter include withholding or removing life-support measures, administering effective pain controls that often hasten death, and assisting patients in suicide.

—Susan S. Mattingly, The New England Journal of Medicine