a matter of life and death

noun phrase

: something that is extremely important and often involves decisions that will determine whether someone lives or dies
Being prepared for severe weather can be a matter of life and death.

Examples of a matter of life and death in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nation: On the high seas between Florida and Cuba, US immigration policy a matter of life and death Five months after being rescued, however, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno ordered federal law enforcement officials to seize him. Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a matter of life and death.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“A matter of life and death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20matter%20of%20life%20and%20death. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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