LIFEWORK Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

lifework

noun

Definition of lifework

as in work

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of lifework Spreading that message is Bigtree’s lifework. — Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026 Four years after Farmer’s death, Clinton reflects on preserving her mentor’s lifework in health care and remembers his tender tenacity. — Chelsea Clinton, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026 How an accident led to a career Pruitt came to his lifework literally by accident. — Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024 From a restricted viewing area not far away, Louise Prockter, a graceful scientist with sandy hair, glanced at a countdown clock and then back at the rocket, which carried her lifework. — David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lifework

Noun

But when menstrual symptoms become severe enough to interfere with work, school, relationships or daily activities, something more serious may be going on.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Oh, and hundreds of her works fill the screen, a magnificent and vibrant tour through her glorious career.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of work

Noun

McElwee’s brother, having followed their father into the medical profession, received mentorship and experienced the glow of paternal pride, whereas McElwee’s youthful filmmaking vocation was met with bewilderment and doubt.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
Early life and religious vocation Gerardi was born in Guatemala City on December 27, 1922.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026

Definition of vocation

Noun

In video of the occupation, Tubbs and his trusty dog Pujo can be seen sitting atop a towering twenty-foot platform, precariously balanced on two long poles anchored by an unwieldy pair of cables.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Or in Rabat, the city established by France as the administrative and political capital of Morocco, during its forty-nine-year occupation of the country, and the home of a gleaming new soccer academy, a symbol of the nation’s sporting ambitions?

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 10 July 2026

Definition of occupation

Noun

The traditional concept of professional security, once anchored in stable, full-time employment and institutional safeguards, is fundamentally outdated.

— Henrik Totterman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
David Card, who won a Nobel Prize in 2021 for his work on this subject, documented that this inflow actually prompted a significant increase in new business investment and thus led to a surge in new employment.

— Robert Hormats, Time, 4 July 2026

Definition of employment

Noun

Cat personalities are formed over time due to their genetic background and living environment.

— Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 5 July 2026
In March 2026, the 28-year-old ended up moving into a guesthouse on 75-year-old Tom Ward's property, and what began as a practical living arrangement quickly turned into an unlikely bond that has captivated hundreds of thousands on TikTok.

— Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026

Definition of living

Noun

The Calabria governor confirmed that 63 Cuban doctors, some of them previously involved in Cuba’s international medical mission, recently applied to work in its healthcare system independently.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Demand is climbing, with Electron flying a record 21 missions in 2025 at 100% success, up from 16 the year before.

— Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of mission

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“Lifework.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lifework. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of lifework

noun

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