lifer

noun

lif·​er ˈlī-fər 

1

: a person sentenced to imprisonment for life

2

: a person who makes a career of one of the armed forces

3

: a person who has made a lifelong commitment (as to a way of life)

Examples of lifer in a Sentence

He was a lifer at the factory.

Recent Examples on the Web

Krull is a Payton lifer who started his career as an undrafted free agent in New Orleans. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 July 2025

As in the basketball lifer who has roamed the country and the globe for more than a decade seeking talent. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2025

Greer again circled back to the culture created by the Panthers, an organization that until 2022 had gone 25 years without even a playoff round win, and leaders like Barkov, Tkachuk and Panthers lifer Aaron Ekblad. —Michael Russo, New York Times, 18 June 2025

Lee Elia, a longtime baseball lifer who may be best known for his epic 1983 rant, died this week at the age of 87. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lifer

• cipher
• cypher
• fifer
• heifer
• pfeiffer
• decipher