midlife

noun

mid·​life ˈmid-ˈlīf How to pronounce midlife (audio)
Synonyms of midlifenext
: middle age
midlife adjective

Examples of midlife in a Sentence

changes that occur at midlife
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Coon plays Rita, a woman in midlife haunted by the weight of her past, who encounters magnetic young spiritual leader Ricki (James) and leaves her family to follow her to an all-female commune. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Additionally, health status was recorded during a single visit, and some potential midlife lifestyle changes were unreported. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Although digital nomad groups typically skew younger, an increasing number of people in midlife and retirees are joining. — Maria Leonard Olsen, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026 Researchers found that people who reported watching television more often in midlife had smaller brain volumes decades later in areas involved in language and thinking. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for midlife

Word History

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of midlife was in 1807

Phrases Containing midlife

Rhymes for midlife

See All Rhymes for midlife

Browse Nearby Words

mid-level
midlife
midlife crisis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Midlife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midlife. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

midlife

noun
mid·​life ˈmid-ˈlīf How to pronounce midlife (audio)
: middle age
midlife adjective

Medical Definition

midlife

noun
mid·​life
(ˈ)mid-ˈlīf
: middle age

More from Merriam-Webster on midlife

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for midlife

Nglish: Translation of midlife for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All