lifer

noun

lif·​er ˈlī-fər 

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

The 62-year-old, a baseball lifer finally promoted to his first managerial stint in 2022, signed a contract extension in the offseason running through the 2027 season and was again expected to lead the Phillies into World Series contention. —Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

And now, firing everyone, including Red Sox lifers Alex Cora and Jason Varitek. —Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026

The choice of Ternus, an Apple lifer who hails from the Jobs era, shows the company is not about to roll the dice on someone who might squander its lucrative business — or take it in a radical new direction. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026

That doesn’t mean the 36-year-old Wild lifer has taken to yelling and screaming in the locker room. —Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lifer

• cipher
• cypher
• fifer
• heifer
• pfeiffer
• decipher