noun
lifer
LEYE-fuh
noun
1
A prisoner serving a life sentence.
"The lifers in the prison yard had little to lose."
2
Someone who has spent their whole career, or a very long time, in one job, organization, or way of life.
"She's a company lifer, having worked there for thirty years."
"He's a military lifer — he joined at eighteen and never left."
How to Use Lifer
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone locked into something for life — either a prisoner or, more casually, a career veteran.
When to use it
The "career veteran" sense is informal.
Common pairings
a lifer in prison
company lifer
army lifer
Word Forms
lifers plural
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The _____ in the prison yard had little to lose.
Etymology
Formed from life + the agent suffix -er, originally referring to someone serving a life prison term.