lifetime

American  

[lahyf-tahym] / ˈlaɪfˌtaɪm /

noun

1. the time that the life of someone or something continues; the term of a life.

   peace within our lifetime.

2. Physics. mean life.

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adjective

1. for the duration of a person's life.

   He has a lifetime membership in the organization.

lifetime British  

/ ˈlaɪfˌtaɪm /

noun

1. 1. the length of time a person or animal is alive

   2. ( as modifier )

      a lifetime supply

2. the length of time that something functions, is useful, etc

3. physics the average time of existence of an unstable or reactive entity, such as a nucleus, excited state, elementary particle, etc; mean life

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Etymology

Origin of lifetime

First recorded in 1175–1225, lifetime is from the Middle English word liftime. See life, time

Example Sentences

Ziminsky said her thinking on 529s changed when her mother died six months into retirement, after a lifetime of saving in accounts she barely touched.

From The Wall Street Journal

“An IRA must be owned by a natural person and so cannot be owned by a trust, including a revocable trust, during the account owner’s lifetime,” Carbone says.

From MarketWatch

The rule also validates the inclusion of lifetime income solutions, such as annuities, for American workers who need predictability in retirement.

From The Wall Street Journal

A parent borrowing the annual maximum will hit the lifetime maximum before the end of four years.

From MarketWatch

In a victim impact statement read to the court, her mother Lynn Sparkes said her daughter's death had left the family with a "lifetime of overwhelming grief".

From BBC

Related Words

• career
• life
• period