life cycle
/ˈlaɪf ˌsaɪ.kəl/noun
life cycle is a noun meaning “The course of stages through which an organism passes from fertilized zygote until maturity, reproduction, and death” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is spelled L-I-F-E-C-Y-C-L-E. The plural of life cycle is life cycles or life-cycles.
What does life cycle mean?
noun
- 1
The course of stages through which an organism passes from fertilized zygote until maturity, reproduction, and death.
Meronym: life forms
- 2
The useful life of a product or system; the developmental history of an individual or group in society.
noun
- 1
Alternative form of life cycle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you pronounce life cycle?
- /ˈlaɪf ˌsaɪ.kəl/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-life_cycle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of life cycle
- life cycles plural
- lifecycle
- life-cycles plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with life cycle
Also written: lifecycle (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Life cycle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense course of stages through which an organism passes:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cycle de vie |
| German | Lebenszyklus |
| Portuguese | ciclo de vida |
| Spanish | ciclo de vida, ciclo vital |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does life cycle come from?
From life + cycle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).