life-support

American  

[lahyf-suh-pawrt, -pohrt] / ˈlaɪf səˌpɔrt, -ˌpoʊrt /

adjective

1. of or relating to equipment or measures that sustain or artificially substitute for essential body functions, as breathing or disposal of body wastes.

   Without life-support equipment, the patient might die.

2. of or relating to equipment or measures that provide, within a surrounding hostile environment, as outer space or ocean depths, a life-sustaining environment similar to that found on the earth's surface.

   the life-support system of a spacecraft or submarine.

3. of or relating to anything that fosters or sustains life, success, or continued existence, as of a person, thing, or nation.

   the life-support system of the economy.

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life-support British  

adjective

1. of or providing the equipment required to sustain human life in an unnatural environment, such as in space, or in severe illness or disability

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Etymology

Origin of life-support

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The good doctor is getting involved with his cases and his colleagues, and the dream of an Upper Midwest vacation may have to be put on life-support.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Wildfire safety experts hope the state someday adopts building standards for truly fire-proof structures that could withstand even the most extreme conditions and come equipped with life-support systems.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

As Wigington notes at one point during the episode, “It’s virtually dismantling the planet’s primary life-support systems and ubiquitously contaminating everything everywhere.”

From Slate • Nov. 12, 2025

The IV saline, dextrose and sterile water fluids provide hydration before surgery or childbirth, as well as provide life-support for babies born prematurely and for others with life-threatening conditions like sepsis, a dangerous blood condition.

From Salon • Oct. 9, 2024

Or will we think on longer time scales, with concern for our children and our grandchildren, to understand and protect the complex life-support systems of our planet?

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan