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

In fact, 32% of perimenopausal women report heavy bleeding, and 80% of women in perimenopause report that one or more of their symptoms disrupt their quality of life. —Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 26 Feb. 2025

There’s a wonderful new quality of life feature as well: no more ribbon cable connecting the keyboard kit to the mainboard! —Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

For patients facing complex medical conditions, top-tier specialized care can make all the difference in outcomes and quality of life. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025

Financial security impacts independence, quality of life and the ability to age comfortably, Cho said. —Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for quality of life

• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• loosestrife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife