matter of life and death

Meaning

This expression refers to a situation that is extremely serious, urgent, or critical. While it can literally refer to survival, native speakers often use it figuratively to emphasize that a decision or action is of the utmost importance and cannot be delayed.

Examples

• Please call me back immediately; it's a matter of life and death.

  Please call me back immediately; it's a matter of life and death.

• We need to get this medicine to the hospital; it's a matter of life and death.

  We need to get this medicine to the hospital; it's a matter of life and death.

• Don't stress too much about the exam; it's not a matter of life and death.

  Don't stress too much about the exam; it's not a matter of life and death.

• The search and rescue team treated every second as a matter of life and death.

  The search and rescue team treated every second as a matter of life and death.

• Choosing the right safety equipment for climbing is literally a matter of life and death.

  Choosing the right safety equipment for climbing is literally a matter of life and death.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ It is a matter of life or death.

  ✓ It is a matter of life and death.

  While 'life-or-death' is used as an adjective (e.g., 'a life-or-death decision'), the standard noun phrase idiom uses 'and' (a matter of life and death).

• ✗ This project is a life and death matter.

  ✓ This project is a matter of life and death.

  Though understandable, native speakers almost always use the fixed prepositional phrase 'a matter of life and death' to express this level of urgency.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Please hurry! Getting this contract signed today is a ___.

  💡 An idiom meaning extremely urgent

  Show answer

  matter of life and death

• Relax, making a small mistake on the presentation isn't a ___.

  💡 Use the full idiom to show it's not a critical emergency

  Show answer

  matter of life and death