life-hostile
|life-hos-tile|
🇺🇸
/laɪfˈhɑstəl/
🇬🇧
/laɪfˈhɒstəl/
inimical to life
Etymology
'life-hostile' originates from a Modern English compound of the noun 'life' and the adjective 'hostile'; 'life' ultimately comes from Old English 'līf' meaning 'life', and 'hostile' comes from Latin 'hostilis' meaning 'of an enemy'.
'hostile' passed into English via Latin 'hostilis' through Old French 'hostile' and Middle English 'hostil(e)'; in Modern English it combined with 'life' to form the descriptive compound 'life-hostile'.
Initially 'hostile' meant 'of or belonging to an enemy'; in the compound 'life-hostile' the meaning shifted to 'inimical to life' or 'not supporting life'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or condition of being hostile to life; the degree to which an environment or thing is inimical to living beings (derived noun from 'life-hostile').
Scientists measured the life-hostility of the region to assess whether microbial life could exist there.
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Adjective 1
hostile or inimical to life; not supporting or capable of supporting life; harmful to living organisms.
The planet's surface is largely life-hostile, so long-term human habitation would require significant protection.
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Last updated: 2025/11/02 15:23