quality of life

noun phrase

: overall enjoyment of life : general well-being

… the male characters on the show not only have a better chance of survival; they're also more likely to improve their quality of life through friendship.

—Juliet Lapidos

specifically : the degree to which a person or group is healthy, comfortable, and able to enjoy the activities of daily living

Migraine is a common disorder that can severely affect patients' quality of life and daily function.

—New England Journal of Medicine

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

A number of recent surveys have identified noise as New York City's greatest quality-of-life issue.

—Tom Vanderbilt

—abbreviation QOL

Examples of quality of life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The challenge for the next generation of local policymakers is to adapt — to foster communities that provide a high quality of life for singles, young and old alike, while also attracting and retaining families. —Mike Gousha and John D. Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 27 June 2024

Pursuing this path could put students into jobs that pay livable wages, a huge quality of life improvement in a high cost of living area like Sacramento. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 26 June 2024

In addition to cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, women have a greater risk of having a stroke, poorer stroke outcome, and have a poorer quality of life after a stroke compared to men, according to a 2019 pooled analysis. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 25 June 2024

Counterproductive minimum wage laws, an oppressive tax code and a declining quality of life are driving companies out of business or out of state. —Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above