Meaning & use
sphere of life
Last updated
Meaning
phrasecountable
a particular area of a person's activity or experience, such as work, family, or politics
Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural: different spheres of life.
Patterns
- in a sphere of life
- in all spheres of life
- the political sphere of life
Her success in the business sphere of life did not make her happy at home.
Education affects every sphere of life, from health to employment.
In the public sphere of life, people are expected to behave politely.
Word forms
| plural | spheres of life |
|---|
Common combinations
- in every sphere of life
- Technology now plays a role in every sphere of life.
- the private sphere of life
- Family matters belong to the private sphere of life.
- the public sphere of life
- She is well known in the public sphere of life.
- different spheres of life
- The survey asked about happiness in different spheres of life.
- the social sphere of life
- Friendship belongs to the social sphere of life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- area of life
- More common and less formal; it means the same but is used in everyday speech.
- domain
- More formal and technical; it often refers to a field of knowledge or control rather than personal experience.
- realm
- Literary or formal; it suggests a whole world of activity, and is less common in everyday English.
Word family
- sphere noun
- A round object like a ball, or a particular area of activity.
Commonly confused: sphere of life or sphere?
sphere of life vs sphere
'Sphere' alone can mean a ball shape or a general area of activity; 'sphere of life' always refers to a part of a person's life.
Practice
Education is important in every ______ of life.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is 'in every sphere of life', and 'every' takes a singular noun. 'Spheres' is plural and would need 'all' instead of 'every'. 'Sphere's' is possessive and does not fit here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sphere of life”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.