ENGLISH
REFERENCE

life

n. C / U
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈɫaɪf// UK //lˈaɪf// life Archaic General-service Informal

n. the quality that makes people, animals, and plants different from rocks or machines. It also means the time between when you are born and when you die.

n. the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth and reproduction. Also refers to the period between birth and death or the experience of being alive.


SIMPLE

She wants to live a long and happy life.

CONTEXTUAL

Scientists are searching for signs of life on other planets to see if we are alone in the universe.

COMPLEX

The biographer spent years researching the subject's private life to understand how personal struggles influenced his public political decisions.

Synonyms
Origin

Variant of Leaf.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general state of existence; countable when referring to individual experiences or specific spans of time.

Pitfall

The life is hard sometimes.Life is hard sometimes.When talking about life in general, do not use the definite article 'the'.

Idioms40 entries

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