loss of life

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

Officials familiar with the higher casualty number expressed frustration that the additional loss of life is not reflected in the Pentagon's public casualty portal. — Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026

This photo shows some of the damage caused by the great hurricane that swept through the lower portion of Florida, leaving a wake of ruins and causing great loss of life. — Hank Tester, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

After each storm season, a committee for the North Atlantic basin reviews the names and decides if any should be retired due to severity and major loss of life and property; around 100 names have been retired from the Atlantic list to date. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026

Deadly fires, often linked to electrical faults or gas cylinder explosions, are common in India where investigators have frequently pointed to safety lapses and inadequate enforcement of fire regulations as contributing to recurring loss of life. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for loss of life

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