Meaning & use
walks of life
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Meaning
phrasepluralformal
different types of jobs, social backgrounds, and ways of living that people have
Grammar: Usually used in the plural after 'from' or 'all', as in 'people from all walks of life'.
Patterns
- from all walks of life
- people from different walks of life
- from every walk of life
The festival attracts people from all walks of life, from students to retired doctors.
Our volunteers come from many different walks of life.
She has met people from every walk of life during her career in journalism.
Word forms
| singular | walk of life |
|---|
Common combinations
- people from all walks of life
- People from all walks of life joined the charity run.
- from different walks of life
- The course is designed for students from different walks of life.
- from every walk of life
- The library welcomes readers from every walk of life.
- a cross-section of society
- The audience was a cross-section of society, representing many walks of life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backgrounds
- This word focuses on a person's family, education, and social class; 'walks of life' is broader and also includes jobs and lifestyles.
- social classes
- This is a more technical phrase about economic and social groups; 'walks of life' is more everyday and less academic.
Word family
Commonly confused: walks of life or ways of life?
walks of life vs ways of life
This means the customs and habits of a group or person. 'Walks of life' refers to social groups and occupations, not customs.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'walks of life' correctly.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'all walks of life', with plural 'walks' and singular 'life'. The other options change the fixed form of the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “walks of life”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.