German word

Lebzeit

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈleːpˌtsaɪ̯t/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlifetime

Example

Die Werke blieben zu Lebzeiten unbekannt.

The works remained unknown during his lifetime.

Illustration for Lebzeit (lifetime)

More examples

Während seiner Lebzeit zog er sich oft aus dem öffentlichen Leben zurück.

During his lifetime, he often withdrew from public life.

Core concept

A person's years form a bounded stretch of time in which events, recognition, or achievements can occur before death.

Common phrases

  • während seiner Lebzeit

    during his lifetime

Similar words

Lebenszeit: The complete period of one person's life.
Leben: Being alive as a state or the vital force in a living being.
Lebensdauer: The duration for which a person, object, or organism remains in existence.

Definition in German

Die Lebenszeit einer Person; vor allem in der festen Wendung «zu Lebzeiten» verwendet.

Word origin

Lebzeit is a compound of Leben, 'life,' and Zeit, 'time,' built from two inherited Germanic words.

Usage tips

  • The fixed phrase zu Lebzeiten uses the plural form Lebzeiten after the dative preposition zu, although English usually uses singular 'lifetime'.

Other meanings

  • lifenoun

Opposites

  • Toddeathnoun
  • Unsterblichkeitimmortalitynoun

Related words

  • Lebenszeitlifetimenoun
  • lebenslänglichlifelongadjective

Word lists with this word