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 of lifetime
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
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
According to the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, nationally, about one-in-four Americans is expected to experience one of these disorders in their lifetime, and Pennsylvania has the fifth largest older adult population in the country.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 24 May 2021
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 All Example Sentences for lifetime
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.
Noun
Bondi Beach, Sydney — For Australia’s tiny Jewish population, Bondi Beach was a refuge within a vast country that offered sanctuary to families fleeing a seething hate that killed six million of their kind within the lifetime of some of their oldest members.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
According to the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, nationally, about one-in-four Americans is expected to experience one of these disorders in their lifetime, and Pennsylvania has the fifth largest older adult population in the country.
—Lauren Linder, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Getting an Emmy award is a lifetime dream for many.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 24 May 2021
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 All Example Sentences for lifetime
Cite this Entry
“Lifetime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifetime. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share