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

Mosquitoes have a boom or bust life cycle and take advantage of weather and environmental changes. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026

For enterprise leaders, the next phase of development is about refining and integrating AI reliability across the entire software life cycle. —Fabio Caversan, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

The figures roughly follow the life cycle, with youths at one end and the elderly at the other. —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 11 June 2026

Many iconic businesses, including Amazon and Apple, went public early in their life cycles. —Brad Badertscher, The Conversation, 11 June 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