lifetime

noun life·time \ ˈlīf-ˌtīm \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

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

Kavanaugh, of course, is in a different position, with a lifetime appointment to America’s highest court.

— jen kirby, Vox, "Report: Brett Kavanaugh racked up thousands in debt buying baseball tickets," 12 July 2018
Perhaps the most important words of praise though came from Simon himself, who, once backstage, greeted Courtney and offered her the compliment of a lifetime.

— kayla keegan, Good Housekeeping, "'America's Got Talent' Contestants Spill All the Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of the Show," 10 July 2018
Charles Coates Getty Images With a year of experience under his belt, Elias heard the news of a lifetime: Honda was returning to Formula One.

— jacob sweet, miamiherald, "His dream was to race cars. Now this Miami kid is building them for one of best F1 teams," 10 July 2018
Casson Thomas, an 8-year-old from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., had the scare of a lifetime after being bitten by a venomous snake on July 4.

— caroline judelson, Fox News, "Boy, 8, gets 18 doses of anti-venom after painful snake bite," 10 July 2018
But not everyone comes for the journey of a lifetime.

— scott craven, azcentral, "Lees Ferry: Gateway to Grand Canyon rafting and the Colorado River," 9 July 2018
Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande may be smooshing themselves across your Instagram feed, and Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas may be engaging in wholesome family fun, but Bella and Cena are giving the performance of a lifetime.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "John Cena & Nikki Bella May Just Win The 2018 Summer Of Love," 6 July 2018
What has quickly become a year-round destination, Beaver Creek offers the unique experience of a lifetime for anyone looking for adventure, fun, and inspiration.

— Discover Magazine, "One-on-One with Executive Chef Kevin Erving," 6 July 2018
After retiring from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Rochelle Renken and Michael Huffman of Columbia, Missouri, were on what the National Park Service described as the trip of a lifetime.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Missouri hikers were on 'trip of a lifetime' in Alaska. Their lives ended there," 5 July 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

lifetime Synonyms

Synonyms

continuance, date, duration, life, life span, 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

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

Definition of lifetime

Examples of lifetime in a Sentence

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First Known Use of lifetime

lifetime Synonyms

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lifetime

Definition of lifetime

First Known Use of lifetime

Phrases Related to LIFETIME

Related Phrases

LIFETIME Defined for English Language Learners

lifetime

Definition of lifetime for English Language Learners

LIFETIME Defined for Kids

lifetime

Definition of lifetime for Students

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