loss of life
idiomatic phrase
: death
… street robberies, often accompanied by cruel wounds, and not unfrequently by loss of life …—
Charles Dickens
: incidences of people dying
Charles DickensIn 1900 a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, destroying the city and killing over 6,000 persons—the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster ever recorded in the United States.—David H. Hickcox
David H. HickcoxExamples of loss of life in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Red Guards killed her father, but now her actions may have brought about an eventual loss of life that will make the Cultural Revolution feel meaningless.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2024
My heart broke at the loss of life, and at the knowledge that what was to come — what Israel would unleash on Gaza — would be devastating.
—Audrey Sasson, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2024
Because white phosphorus can cause excruciating burns and long-term medical suffering, its use in populated areas violates the Geneva Conventions’ requirement to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life.
—Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2023
Under that precedent, losses can be recovered only for personal injury, loss of life or physical damage to property.
—Lorraine Mirabella, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for loss of life 
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2024
My heart broke at the loss of life, and at the knowledge that what was to come — what Israel would unleash on Gaza — would be devastating.
—Audrey Sasson, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2024
Because white phosphorus can cause excruciating burns and long-term medical suffering, its use in populated areas violates the Geneva Conventions’ requirement to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life.
—Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2023
Under that precedent, losses can be recovered only for personal injury, loss of life or physical damage to property.
—Lorraine Mirabella, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for loss of life
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loss of life.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near loss of life
Cite this Entry
“Loss of life.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loss%20of%20life. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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