Standard Lemma guide

midlife

adj · noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈmɪdlaɪf/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH1 D L AY2 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Occurring in the middle point of one's life, usually considered about 45.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The middle period of one's life.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *me Proto-Indo-European *dheh1-? Proto-Indo-European *-dhe Proto-Indo-European *médhi Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *médhyos Proto-Germanic *midjaz Proto-West Germanic *midi Old English midd Middle English mid English mid English mid- English life English midlife From mid- + life.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: keski-iän — occurring in the middle point of one's life
  • Indonesian: paruh baya — occurring in the middle point of one's life