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
2
: an amount accumulated or experienced in a lifetime
a lifetime of regrets
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
Examples of lifetime in a Sentence
Noun
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 on the Web
Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 11 July 2025
For those who instead tap their portfolios early, that may ultimately result in higher lifetime spending over a 30-year retirement, according to Kephart’s research.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 24 May 2021
In addition to keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops and networking, the 2019 Music Biz conference will again take time to recognize both recent and lifetime achievements.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2019
See All Example Sentences for lifetime
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Noun
Those seeking unsubsidized federal loans for professional degrees, such as law or medicine, will be restricted to $50,000 per year and a $200,000 lifetime cap.
—Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 11 July 2025
For those who instead tap their portfolios early, that may ultimately result in higher lifetime spending over a 30-year retirement, according to Kephart’s research.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Adjective
Getting an Emmy award is a lifetime dream for many.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 24 May 2021
In addition to keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops and networking, the 2019 Music Biz conference will again take time to recognize both recent and lifetime achievements.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2019
See All Example Sentences for lifetime
Cite this Entry
“Lifetime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifetime. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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