1. the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
2. the existence of an individual human being or animal.
3. the period between the birth and death of a living thing, especially a human being.
4. vitality, vigour, or energy.
5. (in art) the depiction of a subject from a real model, rather than from an artist's imagination.
