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

While the growing wealth gap highlights the challenges of financial inequality, the cost of living is comparable to that of the U.S. and the U.K., as well as many EU countries, and for many, being wealthy in Australia is all about the fact that the quality of life just can't be beaten. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

Home values and prices have skyrocketed since then, especially in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, when many Americans moved from bigger, more expensive cities to smaller towns with a better quality of life and more affordable housing. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025

Palliative care focuses on relieving distressing symptoms to improve the quality of life for individuals experiencing serious illness and their families. —Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025

And for good reason: This guidance is solid and forms the foundation for long-term health and quality of life. —Dr. Baibing Chen, CNBC, 27 May 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