life sentence
noun
plural life sentences
: a sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of a convicted person's life when there is no possibility of parole or for a minimum number of years under applicable law until the convicted person becomes eligible for and is granted parole
Examples of life sentence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Five others have pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are serving life sentences.
—
David Fischer, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Five others have already pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are serving life sentences.
—David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The duo face a possible life sentence if convicted of use of a weapon of mass destruction.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Patrick Kelley — now 61 years old after spending 31 years behind bars — was sentenced to three concurrent life sentences back in 1995.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for life sentence
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Fischer, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Five others have already pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are serving life sentences.
—David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
The duo face a possible life sentence if convicted of use of a weapon of mass destruction.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Patrick Kelley — now 61 years old after spending 31 years behind bars — was sentenced to three concurrent life sentences back in 1995.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for life sentence
Cite this Entry
“Life sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20sentence. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
