What does lifetime mean?
Word: Lifetime
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Lifetime means the whole length of time that a person or animal lives, or that a thing lasts.
How do you spell lifetime?
Syllables: life - time
Tricky part: The first half keeps its silent e when the second half joins on. Dropping that middle e is the slip most pupils make.
Watch out for: lieftime, lyftime, lifetym
Memory tip: Think of the e in the middle as glue: it holds the two halves together, and without it the word falls apart.
Idioms and Phrases
- the chance of a lifetime: A very rare chance that may never come again. Example: "Meeting an astronaut at the science fair was the chance of a lifetime."
Lifetime in a sentence
Example 1: My grandfather has lived in Shimla his whole lifetime.
Example 2: This steel bottle comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Example 3: Nani says she has seen many changes in her lifetime.
Fun Fact
Some giant tortoises have lived for more than 150 years, so one tortoise's lifetime can cover several human generations.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the correctly spelt compound word:
a) lifetim
b) lifetime
c) lifftime
d) lifetiem
Show answer
b) lifetime. The word ends in m-e, and nothing in it is doubled.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
fiemetil
a) lifetime
b) lifetmie
c) lifemite
d) lifeitme
Show answer
a) lifetime. Two short words are hiding here; find them both and put them in the right order.
Word Cookie
Fill in the two missing letters to complete the word:
l_fet_me
a) e, i
b) y, i
c) i, i
d) i, y
Show answer
c) i, i. Both life and time use a plain i, never a y.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
lifetime
a) weekend
b) moment
c) season
d) lifespan
Show answer
d) lifespan. Your lifespan, like your lifetime, is the whole time you live.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these happens only once in a lifetime for most people?
a) seeing a total solar eclipse
b) eating your lunch
c) brushing your teeth
d) doing your homework
Show answer
a) seeing a total solar eclipse
2. Whose lifetime is usually the shortest?
a) a tortoise
b) an elephant
c) a butterfly
d) a parrot
Show answer
c) a butterfly
