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
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But, after serving more than 30 years of a natural life sentence, Modrowski won back his freedom in summer 2024 when a judge ruled he had been too harshly punished and resentenced him to a 60-year term.
—
Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Aggravated murder charges in Virginia carry a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole.
—CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Greenlee, at 16, was given a life sentence.
—News Service Of Florida, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
James Jeter became eligible after the 2015 law passed and he was released in 2016 after spending nearly 20 years of a life sentence in prison for murder.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
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Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Aggravated murder charges in Virginia carry a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole.
—CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Greenlee, at 16, was given a life sentence.
—News Service Of Florida, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
James Jeter became eligible after the 2015 law passed and he was released in 2016 after spending nearly 20 years of a life sentence in prison for murder.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for life sentence
Cite this Entry
“Life sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20sentence. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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