life-or-death
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of life-or-death
First recorded in 1680–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dr Gillespie said issues with availability can mean they are often called into highly emotional situations at short notice, sometimes moving between a christening and a life-or-death situation in hospital.
From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025
But there’s a difference—and it’s a life-or-death difference now—between protest and incitement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
If they had, the life-or-death risks could have been avoided.
From Salon • Jul. 2, 2025
Second-year veterinary student Amber Elalem, 30, is well aware of the pressures that come with a job that often results in life-or-death decisions for beloved pets.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025
We don’t often think about the role of time in life-or-death situations, perhaps because Hollywood has distorted our sense of what happens in a violent encounter.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
