life support
noun
: medical equipment, treatments, or medications that temporarily replace or support the function of one or more failing organs in a seriously ill or injured patient and that provide an opportunity for stabilization or recovery
The patient was placed on life support.
A mechanical pump that was invented as a temporary life support for patients with advanced heart failure is emerging as a potential tool to help hearts heal and function for the long term on their own.—
Ron Winslow
Ron WinslowThe current pediatric and adult life support recommendations suggest an epinephrine administration interval … of 3–5 minutes during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).—Donald H. Shaffner and Clifton W. Callaway
—sometimes hyphenated when used before another nounDonald H. Shaffner and Clifton W. Callawaylife-support equipment
life-support measures
Examples of life support in a Sentence
He was removed from life support.
She was put on life support.
equipment providing life support for astronauts
Recent Examples on the Web
An 8-year-old San Jose girl died Sunday after being taken off life support, days after she was found unresponsive in a home that had been the subject of child welfare calls, authorities said Monday.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
That will hinge on the maturity of each lander’s life support system.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
The mission will fly four astronauts aboard Orion into low Earth orbit, where the spacecraft will rendezvous with the lunar lander vehicles to practice docking procedures and verify their life support and communications systems.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 May 2026
And China is credited with helping to push Iran to accept the initial ceasefire, the one Trump said is now on life support.
—Tamara Keith, NPR, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for life support
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Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
That will hinge on the maturity of each lander’s life support system.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
The mission will fly four astronauts aboard Orion into low Earth orbit, where the spacecraft will rendezvous with the lunar lander vehicles to practice docking procedures and verify their life support and communications systems.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 May 2026
And China is credited with helping to push Iran to accept the initial ceasefire, the one Trump said is now on life support.
—Tamara Keith, NPR, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for life support
Cite this Entry
“Life support.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20support. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
life support
noun
: medical equipment, treatments, or medications used to temporarily replace or support the function of one or more failing organs in a seriously ill or injured patient and that provide an opportunity for stabilization or recovery
Extracorporeal life support … is used to support the circulation of a patient with severe cardiac failure. The physiologic objective is to provide temporary circulatory support to the vital organs and to unload the failing heart as the injured myocardium attempts to recover.—Massimo Massetti et al., The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Massimo Massetti et al., The Annals of Thoracic SurgeryMost of the patients from whom support was withheld or withdrawn had intracranial lesions, usually the result of trauma. A poor prognosis or brain death prompted the withholding or withdrawal of life support in most patients.—Nicholas G. Smedira et al., The New England Journal of Medicine
—sometimes hyphenated when used before another nounNicholas G. Smedira et al., The New England Journal of MedicineThe principles of medical ethics permit active, direct euthanasia … as well as passive and indirect forms. The latter include withholding or removing life-support measures, administering effective pain controls that often hasten death, and assisting patients in suicide.—Susan S. Mattingly, The New England Journal of Medicine
Susan S. Mattingly, The New England Journal of MedicineLove words? Need even more definitions?
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