Lifer
/ˈlaɪ.fər/noun
A person who is serving a life sentence or who remains in a role, place, or activity for life.
Did you know?“Lifer” is a later English formation from “life,” and its prison meaning turns the abstract idea of a lifetime into a literal sentence of endless duration.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
līf
“life, existence, the period of living”
Middle English
ME
lif
“life; living state”
16th Century
English
lifer
“a person who lives or remains for life; later, one serving a life sentence”
19th Century
English
lifer
“especially a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment”
Modern English
English
lifer
“a person who is committed to something for life, especially in prison or a long-term vocation”