loss of life

idiomatic phrase

: death

… street robberies, often accompanied by cruel wounds, and not unfrequently by loss of life …

—Charles Dickens

: incidences of people dying

In 1900 a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, destroying the city and killing over 6,000 persons—the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster ever recorded in the United States.

—David H. Hickcox

Examples of loss of life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the pandemic did help expose structural inequalities and disparities, especially in the food system, the loss of life and livelihood has been one of the greatest tragedies of our lifetimes. —Danielle Nierenberg, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

Iran has responded with a barrage of missile strikes on Israel, causing significant destruction and loss of life. —Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 17 June 2025

While officials acknowledge the system isn't foolproof, it has been credited with preventing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. —Tom O'Connor Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 June 2025

What happened today in Minnesota was an absolute criminal act and a tragic loss of life. —Nick Butler, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for loss of life

• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• loosestrife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife