lifetime

noun life·time \ ˈlīf-ˌtīm \

Definition of lifetime

1 a :the duration of the existence of a living being (such as a person or an animal) or a thing (such as a star or a subatomic particle)

b :life 12

2 :an amount accumulated or experienced in a lifetime

a lifetime of regrets

See lifetime defined for English-language learners

See lifetime defined for kids

Examples of lifetime in a Sentence

a lifetime spent traveling the world
It would have taken me a lifetime to read all those books.
Childhood seems a lifetime ago now!
a chemical with a lifetime of only a few minutes
the lifetime of a planet

Recent Examples of lifetime from the Web

A high school and college diploma impact a teen’s future career options and future earnings — and a previous Brookings Institution study found that a one-hour delay in school start times would lead to a $175,000 increase in lifetime earnings.

— kyra gurney, miamiherald, "Letting teen students sleep in could be $9 billion boost for Florida economy, study says," 30 Aug. 2017
Curators are trying to determine which damage occurred during the suit's working lifetime and which was caused by later degredation.

— alicia ault, Smithsonian, "A Moonwalk Did Not Destroy Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit, Now Time Won’t Either," 28 Aug. 2017
Five recipients were announced this week and will be honored with awards celebrating their lifetime achievement, global citizenship and efforts in education, among other things.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "UK grad Ashley Judd among Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards recipients," 26 Aug. 2017
Plus, black and gold seems to be the golden arches's new aesthetic, because the chain also created a one-of-a-kind brass-and-real-gold replica of its classic wafer cones for a lucky winner of a lifetime supply of McDonald's ice cream.

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "McDonald's Unveils a Couture Burger Box by Julien Macdonald," 24 Aug. 2017
For a company that relies, in part, on converting young adoptees into lifetime users, a teen exodus could create a demographic time bomb.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Facebook Is Facing a Demographic Time Bomb," 22 Aug. 2017
However, not everyone will be tuning in to the once-in-a-lifetime affair for a number of reasons.

— rebecca keegan, vanityfair.com, "Au Revoir, Jerry Lewis," 21 Aug. 2017
However, not everyone will be tuning in to the once-in-a-lifetime affair for a number of reasons.

— rebecca keegan, HWD, "Au Revoir, Jerry Lewis," 21 Aug. 2017
Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have been awarded to individuals for lifetime achievements in the arts.

— tess kornfeld, Glamour, "President Trump Is the First President in 23 Years to Skip the Kennedy Center Honors," 19 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lifetime.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lifetime

13th century

lifetime Synonyms

Synonyms

continuance, date, life, life span, duration, run, standing, time

Related Words

spell, stretch; span, tenure, term; hitch, tour, turn; half-life; age, longevity

lifetime

adjective

Definition of lifetime

1 :lifelong

2 :of long duration or continuance

lifetime legislation

3 :measured or achieved over the span of a career

a baseball player's lifetime batting average

First Known Use of lifetime

1834

LIFETIME Defined for English Language Learners

lifetime

noun

Definition of lifetime for English Language Learners

: the time during which a person is alive
: a very long time
: the time during which something lasts or is useful

LIFETIME Defined for Kids

lifetime

noun life·time \ ˈlīf-ˌtīm \

Definition of lifetime for Students

:life 2

Learn More about lifetime

See words that rhyme with lifetime Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lifetime Spanish Central: Translation of lifetime Nglish: Translation of lifetime for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lifetime for Arabic speakers

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lifetime

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LIFETIME Defined for English Language Learners

lifetime

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