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.
Relying on massive solar power systems for this life-and-death project could doom the entire endeavor, Zubrin tells me. Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025 The stakes are life-and-death, Morse said. Chris Boccia, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2025 Such restricted debate on a literally life-and-death issue demonstrates that this isn’t a partisan tactic but rather a troubling shift away from robust public discourse. Josue Sierra, Baltimore Sun, 12 Feb. 2025 The dialogue is mostly terse; each sentence bears the weight of life-and-death implications. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Life-and-death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life-and-death. Accessed 18 Apr. 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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