all their lives

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "all their lives" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is used to indicate a long period of time, such as the entirety of someone's life. For example, "The brothers have been best friends all their lives."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

People often lived there all their lives.

Vice

Most people have grown up here all their lives.

Los Angeles Times

But the kids had known him all their lives.

Los Angeles Times

"They'd been judged all their lives,"" says Ekaterina.

HuffPost

Sometimes all their lives.

The New Yorker

All their lives stopped.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

"All their lives they're being disciplined.

The New Yorker

They've been sailing all their lives.

Independent

Some are all their lives.

The Guardian - Books

People who trade this all their lives.

Yale University

People will remember this all their lives".

The New York Times - Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "all their lives" to emphasize the duration of an experience, relationship, or condition. It adds a sense of longevity and consistency to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "all their lives" when referring to a limited time period within their lives. It's best suited for describing something that spans the majority or entirety of their existence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "all their lives" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, modifying a verb to specify the duration over which an action or state has occurred. As Ludwig AI suggests, it expresses a continuous state or activity from birth to the present.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Academia

18%

Formal & Business

2%

Less common in

Science

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "all their lives" is a common and grammatically correct adverbial phrase used to indicate that something has been true for the entirety of a group of people's lives. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct and frequently used. It appears most often in news and media contexts, with less frequent use in academic writing. The phrase emphasizes duration and consistency, and maintains a neutral register. When using the phrase, it's important to ensure that it accurately reflects a lifelong duration and not a limited time period within their lives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in their whole lives

Adds a more emphatic tone to the expression.

during their entire lifetime

Substitutes "lives" with the more formal "lifetime", stressing completeness.

throughout their existence

Replaces "lives" with "existence", emphasizing the entirety of their being.

from their earliest years

Highlights the initial period, implying continuation through life.

for the duration of their days

Uses a more poetic and figurative expression for the length of their lives.

through every stage of their lives

Highlights the different phases experienced across a lifetime.

since they were born

Focuses on the starting point, birth, to indicate a lifelong duration.

during their time on earth

Replaces "lives" with a more existential phrase, emphasizing the period of existence.

for as long as they can remember

Emphasizes the reach of memory as a marker of lifelong duration.

for all of their born days

Uses a folksy idiom to express the entirety of their life.

FAQs

How can I use "all their lives" in a sentence?

You can use "all their lives" to describe something that has been true for the entirety of someone's life. For example, "They have lived in this town "all their lives"."

What's a more formal alternative to "all their lives"?

A more formal alternative to "all their lives" is "throughout their lifetime" or "for the duration of their existence". These phrases convey a similar meaning but are suitable for more professional contexts.

Is it grammatically correct to say "during all their lives"?

While understandable, "during all their lives" is less common and slightly awkward. "All their lives" is the more standard and natural phrasing.

What's the difference between ""all their lives"" and "for their entire lives"?

The phrases are very similar. "All their lives" is slightly more concise and common, while "for their entire lives" adds a bit more emphasis on the completeness of the duration.