indefinite-life
|in-de-fin-ite-life|
🇺🇸
/ˌɪnˈdɛfənət ˈlaɪf/
🇬🇧
/ˌɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt ˈlaɪf/
life without a fixed end
Etymology
'indefinite-life' originates from Modern English as a compound of the adjective 'indefinite' and the noun 'life'.
'indefinite' comes from Late Latin 'indefinitus' (in- 'not' + definitus 'defined'), which passed into Middle French and then Modern English; 'life' comes from Old English 'līf' (from Proto-Germanic '*libam'), and the compound 'indefinite-life' is a modern English formation combining the two words.
Initially the components meant 'not defined' and 'life' respectively; combined in Modern English to form the compound meaning 'a life or lifespan not given a fixed limit', used in technical and descriptive contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a life or lifespan that has no defined or fixed end; an unbounded or unspecified duration of life.
Some organisms appear to have an indefinite-life under ideal laboratory conditions.
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Adjective 1
describing something (e.g., a policy, warranty, or condition) that applies for a life span that is not specified or that may continue without a fixed termination point.
The contract included an indefinite-life clause for support for certain legacy systems.
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Last updated: 2025/09/04 04:40