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Definitions

life-or-death

[lahyf-er-deth] / ˈlaɪf ərˈdɛθ /
ADJECTIVE
life-and-death
Synonyms
WEAK
all-important consequential critical crucial determining earth-shaking earth-shattering essential imperative important indispensable meaningful of vital importance paramount pivotal serious significant urgent vital vitally important
ADJECTIVE
vital
Synonyms
STRONGEST
basic critical crucial decisive fundamental imperative important indispensable integral key meaningful necessary needed significant urgent
WEAK
bottom-line cardinal coal-and-ice constitutive heavy meat-and-potatoes must-have nitty-gritty prerequisite required requisite underlined
Antonyms
STRONGEST
additional extra inessential insignificant meaningless minor needless nonessential optional secondary trivial uncritical unimportant unnecessary useless voluntary worthless
WEAK
dead dull insignficant sluggish
NOUN
necessity
Synonyms
STRONGEST
essential fundamental obligation precondition prerequisite requirement urgency
STRONG
call cause claim compulsion demand desideratum duress essence exaction exigency godsend imperative indispensability inevitability inexorableness must must-have necessary pinch privation requisite stress vitals want
WEAK
life or death needfulness no alternative no choice sine qua non undeniability vital part
Antonyms
STRONGEST
auxiliary extra trivia
WEAK
desire

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That movie put Matt Damon alone on Mars and made the act of thinking through one life-or-death problem after another the engine of the story.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Dr Gillespie said issues with availability can mean they are often called into highly emotional situations at short notice, sometimes moving between a christening and a life-or-death situation in hospital.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

But there’s a difference—and it’s a life-or-death difference now—between protest and incitement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

If they had, the life-or-death risks could have been avoided.

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2025

We don’t often think about the role of time in life-or-death situations, perhaps because Hollywood has distorted our sense of what happens in a violent encounter.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.