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.
Aside from his family — led by baseball-lifer dad James — Vilade is loved the most in the Rays clubhouse. — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026 At the time, the New Jersey native was filling the role of lead guitar prodigy in the Don Kelley Band, a group known for its lifer frontman and a revolving door of young, hotshot guitarists. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 Her goddaughter Miley Cyrus’s balance of roots, rock, and rebellion feels fully informed by the journeys of the country lifer. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 From the meat counter to the dais Perkins, an Independence lifer, graduated from William Chrisman High School and the University of Central Missouri and now lives with his family in northern Independence. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 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

See All Rhymes for lifer

Browse Nearby Words

life preserver
lifer
life raft
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifer. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lifer

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lifer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All