English Reference
Noun

life

n. C / U
A1 Beginner Oxford US /ˈɫaɪf/ UK /lˈaɪf/ life Aviation Biology

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.

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'.

Usage life in prison · life story · life cycle


Variant of Leaf.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated