quality of life

noun phrase

: overall enjoyment of life : general well-being

… the male characters on the show not only have a better chance of survival; they're also more likely to improve their quality of life through friendship.

—Juliet Lapidos

specifically : the degree to which a person or group is healthy, comfortable, and able to enjoy the activities of daily living

Migraine is a common disorder that can severely affect patients' quality of life and daily function.

—New England Journal of Medicine

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

A number of recent surveys have identified noise as New York City's greatest quality-of-life issue.

—Tom Vanderbilt

—abbreviation QOL

Examples of quality of life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Either the county will raise other taxes or our quality of life and public safety will go down dramatically. — Steve Geller, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026

Water, noise and quality of life Not all of the concerns are about money. — Sasha Tuddenham, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026

In the eyes of opponents, the facilities—and the powerful AI industry that backs them—have come to represent an attack on their safety, jobs, pocketbooks, and quality of life. — Naomi Nix, Time, 29 Oct. 2026

The international urticaria guideline calls for clinicians to assess disease activity, control and effects on quality of life. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quality of life

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