life-size

IPA/ˈlaɪf saɪz/
IPA/ˈlaɪf saɪz/

life-size — adjective

1. used to describe a copy, model, or picture that has exactly the same measurement

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

used to describe a copy, model, or picture that has exactly the same measurements as the real person or object it shows

Example

The museum displayed a life-size model of a blue whale that visitors could walk under.

attributive use: life-size model of [animal]

Diego painted a life-size portrait of his grandmother for the school art exhibition.

collocation: life-size portrait

Common collocations
  • life-size model
  • life-size figure
  • life-size portrait
  • life-size statue
  • life-size replica
  • life-size cutout
  • life-size display
Synonyms
  • full-scale

    used especially for plans, drawings, or working replicas that match the original dimensions exactly; slightly more technical than life-size

  • actual-size

    common in product descriptions and technical specifications; less frequently used for artwork

Antonyms
  • miniature

    refers to something made or represented on a very small scale, much smaller than the original

  • scaled-down

    reduced in size proportionally; opposite of life-size

Grammar Patterns

life-size + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun (attributive position). Common in descriptions of museum exhibits, artwork, displays, and decorations. May also be written as one word: lifesize.

Common Mistakes

The statue is life-size to a real person.
The statue is life-size.
life-size already means the same size as the original; adding 'to a real person' is redundant.
I bought a size life poster of my favourite singer.
I bought a life-size poster of my favourite singer.
life-size must come before the noun it describes, not after.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Life-size is the everyday word for objects, models, or artworks that match the real thing exactly. Full-scale carries a more technical feel and is often used for drawings, blueprints, or functional replicas — a full-scale engineering prototype, for instance, implies working parts, not just visual likeness. Actual-size is the most informal and appears mainly in product packaging or online listings ('actual-size photo of the watch face'). For everyday museum or art contexts, life-size is the natural choice. Compare: 'The exhibition featured a life-size elephant model' (visual, artistic) vs 'The team built a full-scale engine for testing' (functional, technical).

life-size ↗full-scale ↗actual-size

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • life-size version of
  • life-size copy of
  • nearly life-size

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

Life-size is a compound adjective formed by combining 'life' (from Old English līf, meaning 'living being, existence') with 'size' (from Old French sise, meaning 'an allotted amount or measure'). The word first appeared in English around the 1820s, originally used in art criticism to describe portraits or sculptures rendered at the same scale as their subjects.