life support

Definitions

1. An artificial system designed to provide oxygen and other conditions necessary for human life in an inhospitable environment.
   uncountable
2. The maintenance of vital functions of a critically ill or comatose person or a person undergoing surgery.
   uncountable
3. The equipment and special procedures used for life support.
   uncountable
4. A means of sustaining existence or continuation of something, usually in an artificial manner when it should have changed or terminated in its natural environment.
   figuratively, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“The more immediate concern⟳ is the life support⟳ systems. Those units are fifty years old—a conservative estimate⟳. If the air scrubbers stop⟳ working, we die⟳. If the pressure regulators stop⟳ working, we die⟳. Artificial gravity fails? We die⟳. You get⟳ the picture.”

“As we've seen, Belarus is a Soviet time capsule that continues only because Russia is keeping it on life support⟳.”

“In a war of words that has broken out between Khan and Secretary of State for Transport⟳ Grant Shapps, the Mayor was accused of sending revenue-raising proposals to Shapps some three weeks late, giving him little choice but to extend⟳ negotiations. Khan countered this by alleging that 'unfair' conditions, such as raising council tax, are being attached to any new funding deal⟳ that would "punish⟳ Londoners" for the effect the pandemic has had on passenger numbers. He added: "These short-term deals are trapping TfL on life support⟳ rather than putting it on the path to long-term sustainability."”

CEFR level