lifer

noun

lif·​er ˈlī-fər How to pronounce lifer (audio)
Synonyms of lifernext
1
: a person sentenced to imprisonment for life
2
: a person who makes a career of one of the armed forces
3
: a person who has made a lifelong commitment (as to a way of life)

Examples of lifer in a Sentence

He was a lifer at the factory.
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.
Belonging to no one exactly, of debatable worth, and kept company by a neighborhood lifer and his detritus: perhaps a fitting end for the bust that ignited a fight over the soul of downtown. — Hannah Jocelyn, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025 And the neighbors have evolved into a hearty mix of young parents, middle-aged artists and eccentrics, blue-collar lifers, and comfortable retirees. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2025 Directed by Hollywood lifer (and author) Edward Zwick (Glory, Blood Diamond), Trial by Fire tells the story of Cameron Todd Willingham, a Texas man who was executed after being convicted of deliberately murdering his three daughters in a 1991 house fire. — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025 This means the Tar Heels are considering replacing 73-year-old Mack Brown with a 72-year-old NFL lifer with about as much charisma as a bag of unsalted potato chips. — Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for lifer

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lifer was in 1827

Rhymes for lifer

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Browse Nearby Words

lifer
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Cite this Entry

“Lifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifer. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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