life sentence

noun

plural life sentences

: a sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of a convicted person's life when there is no possibility of parole or for a minimum number of years under applicable law until the convicted person becomes eligible for and is granted parole

Examples of life sentence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After years of abuse, Gypsy orchestrated her mother’s murder with her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, who carried out the fatal stabbing and is currently serving a life sentence without parole. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026

He would be arrested in 2000 in what Artnet Magazine called a SWAT-style raid by a task force of FBI and DEA agents and charged with felony conspiracy to distribute the drug, and faced consecutive life sentences. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Prosecutors countered that Handal’s circumstances changed once he was indicted in a case carrying a potential life sentence and pointed to his international connections, financial resources and multiple travel documents. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026

Prosecutors used the Idaho assaults to prove a pattern of abuse, and put a life sentence on the table. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for life sentence

• presentence
• repentance

Legal Definition

life sentence

see also:

sentence