define life - Yahoo Search Results

Search results

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
  1
- I
  1
- F
  4
- E
  1
Powered by Oxford Dictionaries
More definitions, origin and scrabble points
www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › lifeLife Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › life
- Cached
noun. ˈlīf. plural lives ˈlīvz. Synonyms of life. 1. a. : the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body. b. : a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings.
www.britannica.com › science › lifeLife | Definition, Origin, Evolution, Diversity, & Facts |...

www.britannica.com › science › life
- Cached
Sep 3, 2024 · Life comprises individuals, living beings, assignable to groups (taxa). Each individual is composed of one or more minimal living units, called cells, and is capable of transformation of carbon -based and other compounds (metabolism), growth, and participation in reproductive acts.
dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishLIFE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english
- Cached
LIFE definition: 1. the period between birth and death, or the experience or state of being alive: 2. for the whole…. Learn more.
www.dictionary.com › browse › lifeLIFE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

www.dictionary.com › browse › life
- Cached
a corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence conceived of as belonging to the soul: eternal life. the general or universal condition of human existence: Too bad, but life is like that. any specified period of animate existence: a man in middle life.
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › LifeLife - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Life
- Cached
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from matter that does not. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, organisation, metabolism, growth, adaptation, response to stimuli, and reproduction.
www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishlife noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english
- Cached
Definition of life noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › lifeLife - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › life
3 days ago · Life is everything that happens: When people say, "That's life," they mean all the events and tendencies, the human condition itself. You might hear about "city life" — or "country life" for that matter — meaning the habits and expectations of inhabitants of a particular place.