noun / adjective
life
LYFE/laɪf/
The continuing existence and activity of a living being.
The plant's life unfolds from a sprouting seed to a mature flowering stem.
Etymology
Old English lif already covered both living existence and a person's lifetime. The modern senses retain that pairing: life can mean being alive or the stretch between birth and death.
In context
I was losing my mind and many of you know my story and how I was confined into a mental hospital because I attempted against my life
More examples
- Clean water is essential to life.
- The firefighters saved three lives.
- He keeps his work life separate from his family life.
Forms
life · lives
lifelong adjective — Lasting for a person's entire life.
lifeless adjective — Dead or showing no signs of life.
Similar words
- existence
- Includes anything that exists, not just living beings.
- lifespan
- Emphasizes how long a being lives, rather than its experiences.