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
Synonyms
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
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 17 Nov. 2023
Your family will make memories that last a lifetime!
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 16 Nov. 2023
Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese has recently found himself in the role of a lifetime: starring in TikToks posted by his 24-year-old daughter, Francesca.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
Two lifetime achievement awards were also presented.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Electric cars are now cheaper than gas or diesel over their lifetime and will soon be just as cheap to buy upfront.
—WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023
Or perhaps the film is trying to give a sense of how all this wonder and wisdom could become normalized if your experience of the landscape developed over a lifetime rather than 90 minutes.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2023
Scientists still don't know the lifetime of a plutonium pit.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
However, the interest isn't actually paid out until the bondholder cashes out the bond, or at the end of its 30-year lifetime.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2023
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
They are viewed as the most restrictive among the 15 states with consecutive or lifetime legislative term limits.
—David Eggert, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2019
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Noun
Diller delighted tourists by renting out pink rooms walled with a lifetime of celebrity photos.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 17 Nov. 2023
Your family will make memories that last a lifetime!
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 16 Nov. 2023
Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese has recently found himself in the role of a lifetime: starring in TikToks posted by his 24-year-old daughter, Francesca.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
Two lifetime achievement awards were also presented.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Electric cars are now cheaper than gas or diesel over their lifetime and will soon be just as cheap to buy upfront.
—WIRED, 15 Nov. 2023
Or perhaps the film is trying to give a sense of how all this wonder and wisdom could become normalized if your experience of the landscape developed over a lifetime rather than 90 minutes.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2023
Scientists still don't know the lifetime of a plutonium pit.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
However, the interest isn't actually paid out until the bondholder cashes out the bond, or at the end of its 30-year lifetime.
—Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2023
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
They are viewed as the most restrictive among the 15 states with consecutive or lifetime legislative term limits.
—David Eggert, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2019
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lifetime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing lifetime
Dictionary Entries Near lifetime
Cite this Entry
“Lifetime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifetime. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
lifetime
noun
life·time
ˈlīf-ˌtīm
More from Merriam-Webster on lifetime
Nglish: Translation of lifetime for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of lifetime for Arabic Speakers
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