ENGLISH
REFERENCE

for life

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. lasting for the rest of your time on earth; something that you have or do until you die.

prep. phr.. functioning as an adjectival or adverbial phrase indicating a duration that encompasses the remainder of a person's lifespan.


SIMPLE

They became best friends for life.

CONTEXTUAL

When you adopt a pet, you are making a commitment to care for it for life.

COMPLEX

The judge sentenced the defendant to prison for life, ensuring he would never return to the streets.

Usage

often follows a noun like 'friend' or 'partner', or a verb like 'sentence' or 'commit'.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'lifelong' (adjective) to show how 'for life' usually functions as a post-modifier or adverbial; it is also a common legal term in sentencing.

Pitfall

They are friends for the life.They are friends for life.the phrase is a fixed idiom and does not use a definite article before 'life'.

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