variants or less commonly life-or-death
: involving or culminating in life or death : vitally important as if involving life or death

Examples of life-and-death in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
William eventually makes his way to the church to ask Jamie for help on a life-and-death matter. Lincee Ray, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025 Sometimes a challenge is genuinely life-and-death, or involves dire consequences; other times, the obstacles in your path may be lower stakes, but still feel frustratingly immovable. Vanessa Armstrong, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025 Just as the series addresses human behavior under extreme duress and life-and-death situations, Season 2 also illustrates how easily people can inflict pain and violence on others when they are emboldened by a sliver of power. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 26 Dec. 2024 As time starts running out, emotions intensify, resulting in a love triangle with life-and-death stakes. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for life-and-death 

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of life-and-death was in 1804

Dictionary Entries Near life-and-death

Cite this Entry

“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-and-death. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

life-and-death

adjective
: ending in life or death : deciding which will survive
a life-and-death struggle

More from Merriam-Webster on life-and-death

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