life meaning and definition

LIFE noun

Definition of life (noun)

1. a characteristic state or mode of living
   • "social life"; "city life"; "real life"
2. the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
   • "he could no longer cope with the complexities of life"
   • synonyms: living
3. the course of existence of an individual; the actions and events that occur in living
   • "he hoped for a new life in Australia"; "he wanted to live his own life without interference from others"
4. the condition of living or the state of being alive
   • "while there's life there's hope"; "life depends on many chemical and physical processes"
   • synonyms: aliveness, animation, living
5. the period during which something is functional (as between birth and death)
   • "the battery had a short life"; "he lived a long and happy life"
   • synonyms: lifespan, lifetime, life-time
6. the period between birth and the present time
   • "I have known him all his life"
7. the period from the present until death
   • "he appointed himself emperor for life"
8. a living person
   • "his heroism saved a life"
9. animation and energy in action or expression
   • "it was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it"
   • synonyms: liveliness, spirit, sprightliness
10. living things collectively
    • "the oceans are teeming with life"
11. the organic phenomenon that distinguishes living organisms from nonliving ones
    • "there is no life on the moon"
12. an account of the series of events making up a person's life
    • synonyms: biography, life history, life story
13. a motive for living
    • "pottery was his life"
14. a prison term lasting as long as the prisoner lives
    • "he got life for killing the guard"
    • synonyms: life sentence