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 Worst States To Work In The researchers analyzed all states on various metrics related to financial comfort, work-life balance and overall quality of life for workers. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

This can cause cavities and lead to infection and tooth loss in the long term, affecting quality of life for children and adults alike. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024

On our internet, whoever signed up the most users won, quality of life be damned. —Adi Robertson, The Verge, 18 Dec. 2024

Lawmakers said those were key to improving the quality of life of service members at a time when many military families must rely on food banks and other government assistance programs to make ends meet. —Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above