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lifelong

lifelong

167 3.5
Lasting for a person's whole life
  • adjective
  • /ˈlaɪfˌlɔŋ/
translation icon : de toda la vida
  • Their lifelong friendship began in kindergarten and has only grown stronger.
  • lifelong learning
  • lifelong learners
  • lifelong involvement

She she said she's a lifelong minimalist at heart.

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Examples

  • Brice's lifelong dream was to work in a small pharmacy that maybe one day he could own.

  • Early memories are recognized for their potential to have lifelong impacts on the ones remembering them.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And so it created a lifelong student of pop culture.

  • I kind of see this as a as a lifelong change for me.

  • It's, uh, it's my lifelong dream.

  • You became my lifelong friend.

  • The social functions of music can be a powerful way to encourage lifelong music participation.

    Academic text (2011)
  • That was my career ambition was to be a lifelong public servant.

  • For many of you, your teachers have become lifelong friends and mentors.

  • Welcome to Ear Biscuits, the podcast where two lifelong friends talk about life for too long.

Synonyms

permanent
vslifelong
650 3.2

Continuing for a long time and unlikely to change

applies only to the length of a single life not necessarily forever
long-term
vslifelong
502 3.0

Lasting for a long time

is used when something lasts for an entire life, not just long term
longtime
vslifelong
190 2.4

Being in a job, role, or relationship for a long time

means lasting through a life, not only many years in one context
long-time
vslifelong
108 3.2

Being in the same job, relationship, or role for many years

covers duration of a whole life rather than only long periods in roles
longstanding
vslifelong
39 4.3

Lasting for a long time

denotes endurance through a whole life rather than historical duration
lasting
vslifelong
38 3.1

Continuing to be present or useful for a long time

focuses on duration through a whole life rather than general long time
long-lasting
vslifelong
27 3.7

To stay the same or work well for a long time

is specific to lasting for a whole life rather than merely long time
sustained
vslifelong
22 3.9

Lasting a long time without stopping or getting weaker

means lasting across a lifetime, not just continuous for a period
cradle-to-grave
vslifelong
5 7.3

Lasting for a person's whole life or for the whole time something exists

has identical meaning but is a common idiom
enduring
vslifelong
1 4.2

Continuing for a long time without fading

is limited to lasting through an entire life rather than just long duration
womb-to-tomb
vslifelong
7.4

Covers a person's whole life from birth to death

has identical meaning but is a vivid idiom

Antonyms

557 3.0

Lasting for a short time and not permanent

17 8.6

Lasting only a very short time

Compounds

A goal someone wants for most of their life

Continuing to learn new skills and knowledge throughout your life

How Long

permanent
650 3.2
lifelong
167 3.5
long-term
502 3.0
short-term
225 3.3

Surface Forms

lifelong positive

Morphology

lifelong = life + long (transparent) = life + long

A straightforward compound of 'life' + 'long' whose meaning 'lasting for a person's life' is directly predictable from its parts.

Etymology

Lifelong comes from joining life 'the time you are alive' and long 'for a long time', like lifetime, so it means something that lasts for your whole life.