Browse by letter

English Words Starting With L

5,456 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

Filter

Parts of speech

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Suffix Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

life history
nounC1
/ˈlaɪf ˌhɪs.tər.i/The sequence of events and stages that make up the complete existence of a living organism, from birth to death.
life imprisonment
nounC1/C2
/ˈlaɪf ɪmˈprɪznmənt/A sentence by which a convicted person is ordered to spend the rest of their natural life in prison.
life instinct
nounC1
/ˈlaɪf ˌɪn.stɪŋkt/In Freudian psychoanalytic theory, the fundamental drive toward survival, pleasure, and creation, encompassing self-preservation, sexual desire, and species propagation; opposed to the death instinct.
life insurance
nounB2
/ˈlaɪf ɪnˌʃɔː.rəns/A contract between an insurer and a policyholder in which the insurer guarantees payment of a sum of money to designated beneficiaries upon the death of the insured person.
life interest
nounC2
/ˈlaɪf ˌɪn.tɹəst/A legal right to use or receive income from property for the duration of a specified person's life, without owning the property outright.
life jacket
nounB1
/ˈlaɪf ˌdʒæk.ɪt/A sleeveless jacket or vest designed to keep a person afloat in water, typically made of buoyant or inflatable material, used as a safety device to prevent drowning.
life lesson
nounC1
/ˈlaɪf ˌles.ən/A significant, often difficult, experience from which one learns an important truth or principle about life.
life list
nounLow (Specialist)
/ˈlaɪf ˌlɪst/A personal, cumulative list of all the species (especially birds) one has observed and identified in the wild.
life mask
nounC2
/ˈlaɪf ˌmɑːsk/A plaster cast taken from the face of a living person.
life net
nounC1/C2
/ˈlaɪf ˌnet/A strong net formerly used by firefighters to catch people jumping from burning buildings.
life of riley
nounC1
/ˌlaɪf əv ˈraɪli/A life of great comfort and ease, free from responsibilities or hard work.
life of samuel johnson, the
nounLow
/ðə ˈlaɪf əv ˈsæm.ju.əl ˈdʒɒn.sən/The title of a famous biography, specifically James Boswell's biographical work about the literary figure Samuel Johnson.
life on the mississippi
nounC1/C2
/ˌlaɪf ɒn ðə ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/The title of Mark Twain's 1883 memoir recounting his experiences training as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River before the American Civil War.
life partner
nounMedium
/ˈlaɪf ˌpɑːt.nə/A person with whom one shares a long-term romantic relationship, often implying a committed, marriage-like union without the formal legal status of marriage.
life peer
nounC2
/ˌlaɪf ˈpɪə(r)/A peer appointed to the House of Lords (the upper house of the UK Parliament) whose title cannot be inherited; the honour is held for their lifetime only.
life plant
nounLow
/ˈlaɪf ˌplɑːnt/A succulent plant (Bryophyllum pinnatum) known for its ability to propagate easily from leaf cuttings, giving the appearance of generating new life.
life preserver
nounB1
/ˌlaɪf prɪˈzɜː.vər/A buoyant device, typically a ring or jacket, designed to keep a person afloat in water and prevent drowning.
life raft
nounB2
/ˈlaɪf ˌrɑːft/A small, inflatable boat or float designed for emergency use in saving lives at sea when abandoning a ship.
life science
nounHigh (Academic and professional contexts), Medium-High (General educated use)
/ˈlaɪf ˌsaɪəns/Any of the branches of natural science that deal with living organisms and their life processes, such as biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, and biochemistry.
life sentence
nounC1
/ˈlaɪf ˌsentəns/A legal punishment where a convicted criminal is sent to prison for the rest of their life, or for a very long period with the possibility of parole.

Showing 2801–2820 of 5456 words.