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1. Dictionary

   life

   /līf/

   noun

   • 1. the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death: "the origins of life" Similar existencebeinglivinganimationalivenessanimatenessentitysentiencecreationsurvivalviabilityrare:esseOpposite deathnonexistence
   • ▪ living things and their activity: "lower forms of life" Similar living thingsliving beingsliving creaturesthe livinghuman/animal/plant lifefaunafloraecosystemscreatureswildlifehuman beingshumanityhumankindmankindmanhuman activityliterary:flesh
   • 2. the existence of an individual human being or animal: "a disaster that claimed the lives of 266 Americans" Similar personhuman beingindividualmortalsoulcreature
   • ▪ a particular type or aspect of people's existence: "his father decided to start a new life in California" Similar way of lifeway of livingmanner of livinglifestylesituationpositionstatestationconditionset of circumstancesfatelotspherefieldlinecareerbusiness
   • ▪ a biography: "a life of Shelley" Similar biographyautobiographylife storylife historymemoirhistoryprofilediaryjournalconfessionsrecordchronicleaccountreportportrayaldepictionportraitinformal:biogbio
   • ▪ either of the two states of a person's existence separated by death (as in Christianity and some other religious traditions): "too much happiness in this life could reduce the chances of salvation in the next" Similar lifetimelife spandaysduration of lifeallotted spancourse of lifetime on earthexistenceone's timeone's careerthreescore years and tenthis mortal coilinformal:one's born days
   • ▪ any of a number of successive existences in which a soul is held to be reincarnated (as in Hinduism and some other religious traditions): "a spiritual pilgrimage into her past lives"
   • ▪ a chance to live after narrowly escaping death (with reference to the nine lives traditionally attributed to cats): "we were called to the hospital, but the old rogue had nine lives and seemed to be negotiating for another two"
   • 3. the period between the birth and death of a living thing, especially a human being: "she has lived all her life in the country" Similar lifetimelife spandaysduration of lifeallotted spancourse of lifetime on earthexistenceone's timeone's careerthreescore years and tenthis mortal coilinformal:one's born days
   • ▪ the period during which something inanimate or abstract continues to exist, function, or be valid: "underlay helps to prolong the life of a carpet" Similar durationactive lifelifetimeexistencefunctioning periodperiod of effectivenessperiod of usefulnessvalidityefficacy
   • ▪ a sentence of imprisonment for life. informal
   • 4. vitality, vigor, or energy: "she was beautiful and full of life" Similar vivacityanimationlivelinessvitalityvervehigh spiritssparkleexuberancezestbuoyancyeffervescenceenthusiasmenergyvigordynamismgoelangustobriobouncespiritspiritednessactivityfirepanachecolordashdrivepushbusinessbustlehustle and bustlemovementstirinformal:oomphpizzazzpepzingzipvimget-up-and-gomoving spiritmoving forceanimating spiritvital spiritspiritvital sparklife forcelifebloodessencecoreheartsoulstrengthquintessencesubstanceélan vital
   • 5. (in art) the depiction of a subject from a real model, rather than from an artist's imagination: "the pose and clothing were sketched from life"

   Word Origin Old Englishlīf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lijf, German Leib ‘body’, also to live1.

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • L

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   • I

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   • F

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   • E

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2. www.britannica.com › science › lifeLife - Origin, Evolution, Abiogenesis | Britannica

   www.britannica.com › science › life

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   May 29, 2024 · The origin of life is a result of a supernatural event—that is, one irretrievably beyond the descriptive powers of physics, chemistry, and other science. Life, particularly simple forms, spontaneously and readily arises from nonliving matter in short periods of time, today as in the past.

3. news.uchicago.edu › explainer › origin-life-earth-explainedThe origin of life on Earth, explained | University of Chicago...

   news.uchicago.edu › explainer › origin-life-earth-explained

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   Sep 19, 2022 · The origin of life on Earth stands as one of the great mysteries of science. To find out if we are alone in the galaxy, we will need to better understand what geochemical conditions nurtured the first life forms.

4. www.livescience.com › 13363-7-theories-origin-life7 Theories on the Origin of Life | Live Science

   www.livescience.com › 13363-7-theories-origin-life

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   Feb 14, 2022 · The origin of life on Earth began more than 3 billion years ago, evolving from the most basic of microbes into a dazzling array of complexity over time. But how did the first organisms on...

5. byjus.com › biology › origin-life-overviewThe Origin of Life on Earth –Theories and Explanations - BYJU'S

   byjus.com › biology › origin-life-overview

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   The universe, an old vast and empty space comprising galaxies, originated around 20 billion years ago. There was nothing but blackness filled with gas and dust. The Big Bang Theory is the most accepted theory regarding the origin of the planet earth and the existence of different life forms on it.

6. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › History_of_lifeHistory of life - Wikipedia

   en.wikipedia.org › wiki › History_of_life

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   The history of life on Earth traces the processes by which living and extinct organisms evolved, from the earliest emergence of life to the present day.

7. evolution.berkeley.edu › from-soup-to-cells-the-origin-ofHow did life originate? - Understanding Evolution

   evolution.berkeley.edu › from-soup-to-cells-the-origin-of

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   All living things reproduce, copying their genetic material and passing it on to their offspring. Thus, the ability to copy the molecules that encode genetic information is a key step in the origin of life — without it, life could not exist.

8. www.britannica.com › science › lifeLife - Evolution, History, Earth | Britannica

   www.britannica.com › science › life

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   May 29, 2024 · Life - Evolution, History, Earth: The evidence is overwhelming that all life on Earth has evolved from common ancestors in an unbroken chain since its origin. Darwin’s principle of evolution is summarized by the following facts.

9. www.nature.com › articles › d41586/018/05098-wHow Did Life Begin? - Nature

   www.nature.com › articles › d41586/018/05098-w

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   May 9, 2018 · The discovery of thousands of exoplanets has sparked a renaissance in origin-of-life studies. In a stunning surprise, almost all the newly discovered solar systems look very different from our...

10. www.nationalgeographic.com › science › articleHow did life on Earth begin? Here are 3 popular theories.

    www.nationalgeographic.com › science › article

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    Mar 8, 2024 · 1. Sparked by lightning. Atmospheric conditions at the time life appeared were very different from those that exist now, notes Jim Cleaves, chair of the chemistry department at Howard...

11. www.scientificamerican.com › article › origin-of-life-on-earthThe Origin of Life on Earth | Scientific American

    www.scientificamerican.com › article › origin-of-life-on-earth

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    Sep 1, 2009 · The actual nature of the first organisms and the exact circumstances of the origin of life may be forever lost to science. But research can at least help us understand what is possible.