life-sentence

A judge hands down a life-sentence to the defendant.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A punishment of imprisonment for the remainder of a person's life: A "life sentence" is a legal penalty imposed by a court that requires a convicted person to be incarcerated for the rest of their natural life, often for serious crimes such as murder or treason.
   • Figuratively, a long-term or seemingly endless burden: In informal usage, "life sentence" can refer to any situation or commitment that feels unending or inescapable, such as a difficult job, a chronic illness, or a permanent responsibility.

Usage Examples

• Legal context:

  • The judge handed down a life sentence for the crime. (The court ordered the offender to be imprisoned for life.)
  • He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. (He is imprisoned for life and cannot be released early.)

• Figurative context:

  • Caring for her aging parents felt like a life sentence. (The caregiving responsibility seemed endless and burdensome.)
  • That dead-end job was a life sentence of boredom. (The job felt like a permanent, inescapable situation.)

Advanced Usage

• "life sentence with parole": A sentence where the prisoner may be released after a minimum term, typically 15–25 years, if deemed rehabilitated.

  • She received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 20 years. (She can apply for release after two decades.)

• "natural life sentence": A sentence that means the prisoner will never be released, even for good behavior.

  • The court imposed a natural life sentence for the serial killer. (He will die in prison.)

Variants and Related Words

• Life-sentenced (adj): describing a person who has received a life sentence.

  • The life-sentenced inmate appealed his conviction. (The prisoner with a life sentence filed an appeal.)

• Life imprisonment (n): a synonym for life sentence, often used in legal documents.

  • Life imprisonment is the most severe penalty in many countries. (Imprisonment for life.)

Synonyms

• Life imprisonment: the formal legal term for a life sentence.
• Life term: a colloquial synonym for life sentence.
• Indeterminate sentence: a sentence with no fixed end date, often used in some jurisdictions for life terms.

Related Idioms

• "A life sentence of debt": a phrase describing overwhelming, long-term financial obligations.

  • Student loans can feel like a life sentence of debt. (The debt seems permanent and crushing.)

• "To serve a life sentence": to endure a long-term, difficult situation.

  • He felt he was serving a life sentence in his unhappy marriage. (He felt trapped in an endless, painful relationship.)