life-saving

British

adjective

acting to save a person's life
informal giving help in time of need

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

the practice or techniques of saving people's lives

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz warned Wednesday that the country was at a "breaking point" after nearly a month of protests that have caused shortages of food, fuel and life-saving medicine.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

“These life-saving benefits are crucial in helping them stretch their limited dollars and being able to afford essentials.”

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

That would be great news for patients who have been denied access to life-saving therapies on his watch.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Whether the goal is a life-saving drug or a cutting-edge material, each compound must be built through a carefully planned series of reactions.

From Science Daily • May 5, 2026

In the life-saving department, we were now even.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023