Meaning & use
way of life
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Meanings
nounsingular
The typical pattern of behavior, values, and customs shared by a particular person, group, or culture.
Grammar: Usually used in the singular with a possessive or descriptive word before it: a traditional way of life, their way of life.
Patterns
- a way of life
- someone's way of life
- a traditional way of life
For the islanders, fishing is not just a job—it is a way of life.
Moving to the city meant giving up a way of life that had lasted for generations.
The book explores the way of life of nomadic tribes in the desert.
nounsingular
The set of habits and daily routines that characterize how a person lives.
Grammar: Often used with a possessive adjective: my way of life, her way of life.
Patterns
- someone's way of life
- a simple way of life
After retirement, he adopted a quieter way of life in the countryside.
Her way of life revolves around her family and her garden.
Common combinations
- a traditional way of life
- The villagers still maintain a traditional way of life.
- a simple way of life
- They chose a simple way of life with few possessions.
- someone's way of life
- Protecting their way of life is important to the community.
- a whole way of life
- The new dam threatened a whole way of life.
- change someone's way of life
- The internet has changed our way of life completely.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lifestyle
- Lifestyle often refers to an individual's personal habits and choices, such as diet or exercise, while way of life more often describes a shared cultural pattern.
- culture
- Culture includes the arts, beliefs, and customs of a group; way of life focuses more on daily behavior and routines.
- customs
- Customs are specific traditional practices, whereas way of life is the broader pattern that includes those practices.
Commonly confused: way of life or lifestyle?
way of life vs lifestyle
Lifestyle is more about personal choices and consumer habits; way of life is broader and often collective.
Practice
Choose the best word to complete the sentence: For the Maasai, cattle herding is not just an occupation—it is a ______.
Choose one answer.
Way of life fits because it describes a whole cultural pattern, not just a job. Lifestyle is more about personal habits, living means the money you earn, and livelihood refers to the way you support yourself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “way of life”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.