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

Without these two concessions, both Roach and Smith say their quality of life has been impacted. —Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 2025

Vilnius’s chief sustainability officer, Anton Nikitin, says that being green improves quality of life in multiple ways. —Anna Heim, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025

That’s according to the alliance’s public safety sentiment assessment, a survey of more than 1,000 Nashvillians’ feelings about crime and their quality of life. —Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025

But one of the simplest, most personal considerations is whether, and how, having a child will affect a person’s quality of life. —Anthony Vaccaro, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quality of life

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