life cycle

noun

1

: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage

2

: life history sense 2

3

: a series of stages through which something (such as an individual, culture, or manufactured product) passes during its lifetime

Examples of life cycle in a Sentence

the life cycle of a shark

Recent Examples on the Web

Given the effectiveness of this tactic in the SolarWinds supply chain attack or Kaseya ransomware events, MSPs need robust approaches and investments in protecting software development life cycles, CI/CD pipelines and distribution networks in addition to general best practices. —Sean McElroy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

Although electric vehicles emit less CO2 than other cars over their life cycle, lithium-ion batteries wind up in landfills since recycling them is harder than creating new ones. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2024

The oldest tadpole reveals evolutionary stability of the anuran life cycle. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

The two-stage life cycle–when the aquatic tadpole changes into an adult form–is one of the main characteristics of anurans. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

life cycle

noun

1

: the series of stages of form and activity through which a living thing passes from a beginning stage (as an egg) in one individual to the same stage in its offspring

2

: life history sense 1

Medical Definition

life cycle

noun

1

: the series of stages in form and functional activity through which an organism passes between successive recurrences of a specified primary stage

2

: life history sense 1a