noun
The duration of the life of someone or something.
a project that will take many human lifetimes to complete
the operational lifetime of an aircraft component
A long period of time.
I've been waiting a lifetime for a train.
ADJ
long
She spent a long lifetime working as a nurse and helping thousands of patients.
short
A short lifetime meant she had to choose her career path very carefully.
entire, whole
VERB + LIFETIME
devote, spend
She spent her lifetime helping people in her community.
take (sb)
Learning to master a musical instrument can take a lifetime of dedication and practice.
last (sb)
My grandmother's diamond ring will last me a lifetime.
seem (like)
Waiting for the test results seemed like a lifetime, though it was only two weeks.
LIFETIME + NOUN
achievement
The famous scientist received a lifetime achievement award for her groundbreaking discoveries.
employment, income
She worked in lifetime employment at the same company for forty years.
lifetime's experience, lifetime's work
PREP
after a ~
After a lifetime of hard work, she finally decided to take things easier and enjoy her retirement.
during your ~
Technology has transformed how we work during our lifetime.
in your ~
She accomplished more in her lifetime than most people do in several generations.
of a ~
She saved money for years to take the trip of a lifetime to Japan.
~ in
My grandfather dedicated his entire lifetime in the military before retiring.
~ of
She spent a lifetime of hard work building her family's business from nothing.
PHRASES
the habits of a lifetime
Breaking the habits of a lifetime takes patience and real commitment to change.
half a lifetime, a legend in your own lifetime
She spent half a lifetime building the family business before finally retiring.
a lifetime ago/away
When I was young, those summer holidays felt a lifetime away.
once in a lifetime
Winning the lottery would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people.
It is better to teach someone to do something themself than to provide the action's reward; education or training is more helpful charity.
He certainly doesn't practice his precepts, but I suppose the Patron meant that if you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour. If you teach him to catch a fish you do him
One who achieves great fame while alive.
Sophia was also a horticulturist, a healer, a historian, and became something of a legend in her own lifetime.
A single sexual encounter can lead to a lifetime of disease and treatment.
An eminent physiologist, in the bad old days when Salvarsan and certain other Hg compounds were the only known remedy for venereal diseases, is said to have warned his students tha
Indulgence in food and drink gives a brief period of sensory pleasure but tends to increase one's body weight in the long term.
a project that will take many human lifetimes to complete
Wiktionarythe operational lifetime of an aircraft component
Wiktionarycomes with a lifetime warranty
WiktionaryCommunism will never be reached in my lifetime.
Tatoeba · #1532The most instinctive act of nearly every creature is to protect its young, and with humans, this response persists for a lifetime.
Tatoeba · #33335This is the chance of a lifetime.
Tatoeba · #55614i Register
In some senses, lifetime is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.