life cycle

noun

1
: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage
2
: life history sense 2
3
: a series of stages through which something (such as an individual, culture, or manufactured product) passes during its lifetime

Examples of life cycle in a Sentence

the life cycle of a shark
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.
At the center of her strategy is the relative youth of Nintendo’s Switch 2, which undeniably puts the company ahead of gaming console competitors (Xbox and PlayStation) that are still stuck at the end of their older-model life cycles. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 The timing is key since park officials want to avoid April nesting season, which is a sensitive time in the life cycle of bird species. — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 The facility will work across the battery life cycle, from raw materials and vehicle applications to recycling. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026 RatHat launches a separate native service outside the normal app life cycle. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for life cycle

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of life cycle was in 1855

Rhymes for life cycle

See All Rhymes for life cycle

Browse Nearby Words

life coach
life cycle
life everlasting
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Life cycle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20cycle. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

life cycle

noun
1
: the series of stages of form and activity through which a living thing passes from a beginning stage (as an egg) in one individual to the same stage in its offspring
2
: life history sense 1

Medical Definition

life cycle

noun
1
: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage
2
: life history sense 1a

More from Merriam-Webster on life cycle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about life cycle

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All