lifestyle

lifestyle — noun

1. The habits, daily routines, and personal choices that define how an individual o

1.nounB1
Definition

The habits, daily routines, and personal choices that define how an individual or a community lives — including diet, work, exercise, spending habits, and use of free time.

Example

Amani changed her lifestyle after her doctor told her to eat better.

A healthy lifestyle includes regular exercise, enough sleep, and a balanced diet.

collocation: healthy lifestyle

Common collocations
  • healthy lifestyle
  • active lifestyle
  • luxurious lifestyle
  • simple lifestyle
  • change your lifestyle
  • adopt a lifestyle
  • lifestyle change
  • lifestyle choice
Synonyms
  • way of life

    broader term that can include cultural or inherited patterns, while 'lifestyle' emphasises personal choices

  • daily habits

    narrower; refers to repeated specific actions, not the whole picture

  • routine

    focuses on the regular order of activities, not the values or choices behind them

Usage Note

Commonly paired with adjectives that describe the quality of someone's daily pattern: healthy, active, busy, stressful, luxurious, simple, sustainable. The word often appears in discussions of health, consumer culture, and personal values.

Common Mistakes

I need to change my life style.
I need to change my lifestyle.
'lifestyle' is a single word, not two separate words.
He has an expensive life.' (when meaning daily habits).
He has an expensive lifestyle.
'life' refers to existence in general; 'lifestyle' refers to the specific pattern of how you live.

lifestyle — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all of these terms describe patterns of daily existence, 'lifestyle' emphasises personal choice and values more than 'way of life', which often includes inherited or cultural patterns. 'Daily habits' refer to specific repeated actions — such as brushing your teeth or checking email — rather than the full picture. 'Routine' is narrower still, describing the regular order of events without any judgment about values. 'Culture' is much broader, involving shared language, beliefs, and traditions of a group. For example: 'A Mediterranean lifestyle involves relaxed meals and time with family' contrasts with 'Mediterranean culture includes specific food traditions and customs passed down over centuries.' Use 'lifestyle' when focusing on how individuals choose to live, rather than the customs of a whole group.

way of lifedaily habitsroutine ↗culture ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • change of lifestyle
  • adopt a lifestyle
  • lead a lifestyle

Prepositions

  • lifestyle of

Etymology

GermanEnglish

A compound of 'life' and 'style', modelled on the German word 'Lebensstil', which psychologist Alfred Adler used in the early 1900s to describe a person's characteristic pattern of living. The English word gained wide popularity in advertising and media from the 1950s onward, shifting from a psychological term to a general word for how people choose to live their daily lives.