lifer

noun

lif·​er ˈlī-fər How to pronounce lifer (audio)
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
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.
My regular weekly meeting of lifers became a celebration of my release. Joe Garcia, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025 The bench mob would be led by five-time All-Star John Wall, plus shooting specialist/famous dad Dell Curry and Miami Heat lifer Udonis Haslem. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 These are the relentless lifers who have it in their blood—the ones who can’t NOT do it. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025 Thank you for being a lifer, for being a shirtless, sunburned troubadour, for your friendship, your songs and all the laughs. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lifer

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lifer was in 1827

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifer. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on lifer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!