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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

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   • E

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2. plato.stanford.edu › entries › lifeLife - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

   plato.stanford.edu › entries › life

   Nov 30, 2021 · Life. First published Tue Nov 30, 2021. Open a textbook in biology and you’ll find a purported definition of life, usually in the form of a list of characteristics that apply to organisms, their parts, their interactions, or their history.

3. en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Meaning_of_lifeMeaning of life - Wikipedia

   en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Meaning_of_life

   • Cached

   The meaning of life can be derived from philosophical and religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about, existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness.

4. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc › articlesWhat is life? - PMC - National Center for Biotechnology ...

   www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc › articles

   • www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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   •   › Springer

   Jul 27, 2021 · What is life? We can define life in very different ways depending on the context and the focus we want to give to the definition. For example, we can define life as the period from birth to death or as the condition that occurs only in living organisms.

5. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishLIFE | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

   • Cached

   life noun (WAY OF LIVING) B1. a way of living: You lead an exciting life. family/private/sex, etc life. B1. one part of someone's existence: My private life is nobody's business but mine. life noun (ACTIVITY) B2. energy and activity: She was always bubbly and full of life.

6. plato.stanford.edu › archIves › sum2020The Meaning of Life - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

   plato.stanford.edu › archIves › sum2020

   May 15, 2007 · The Meaning of Life (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Summer 2020 Edition) First published Tue May 15, 2007; substantive revision Mon Jun 3, 2013. Many major historical figures in philosophy have provided an answer to the question of what, if anything, makes life meaningful, although they typically have not put it in these terms.

7. www.britannica.com › science › lifeLife - Evolution, Diversity, Biology | Britannica

   www.britannica.com › science › life

   • Cached

   Home Science Biology. Life on Earth. timeline of life on Earth. Over hundreds of millions of years, life spread through the seas and over Earth's surface. The first life-forms were small and simple. Later forms were more complicated and diverse. (more)

8. www.space.com › 22210-life-definition-gerald-joyce-interviewDefining Life: Q&A with Scientist Gerald Joyce | Space

   www.space.com › 22210-life-definition-gerald-joyce-interview

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   Aug 1, 2013 · A working definition lately used by NASA is that "life is a self-sustaining system capable of Darwinian evolution." This definition is often credited to Gerald Joyce of the Scripps Research...