Someone in the military, especially Navy or Marines, who stays in because he's too scared of civilian life. Not all career military are lifers. Someone who is "career" is respected because they stay in because they like it, whereas a lifer hates being in the military but is too scared they will end up sleeping in their car if they get out (which sometimes happens). A lifer is basicly serving a self-imposed life sentence in the military. Lifers will kiss every ass above them in the chain of command and will try to make everyone else around them as miserable as they are.
"Shipmate, are you going to reenlist? We'll make you a yellow shirt."
"No Chief. I ain't a lifer. I'm gettin' a real job."
"No Chief. I ain't a lifer. I'm gettin' a real job."
by Mister Priapus June 1, 2005
A person whose sole purpose in life is to succeed at their minimum wage job. They often will be "two-faced" in that they will be nice to your face and then backstab you to others in order to advance their friendly relationship with their boss. Lifers will often get upset over trivial things that are work related and rarely have good things to say about employees who do not plan on becoming lifers. Lifers will commonly be attracted romantically to lifers of the opposite sex at the workplace. They will spend an unbelievable amount of time outside of work with this person under the guise that they are just friends. When faced with the opportunity to do something that will make their life better (i.e. pursue higher education)or pick up extra hours at their work, lifers will consistently do the latter. Lifers also have a unrealistic belief that their job is better than it really is. Because of this lifers will typically talk about their job even when no one is interested. Their is no proven scientific research regarding why lifers feel thier job is so important, but scientist believe it is because lifers are typically substance abusers that lack a sense of reason.
"Scott used to be really cool. He then got that minimum wage job and now he spends all of his time with that lifer girlfriend of his discussing how to get the latest promotion to the cooler."
by asmoothforthelittleguy March 4, 2008
A person in a corporate setting (e.g. aerospace engineering) whose sole ambition is to retire, and to garantee their survival until retirement.
The lifer has minimal skills or exposure in their particular discipline, due in part to a 15+ year stay at their current (and often only) job. Additionally, those 15+ years are actually 1 year of experience repeated 15+ times. The lifer believes that getting ahead is about “staying power” and “paying their dues”, rather than tangible achievements based on applied experience in their field. When skilled individuals arrive, the lifer has no skills to fall back on to remain competitive, and instead relies on generation of politics to diminish the impact of the skilled individual.
The lifer has minimal skills or exposure in their particular discipline, due in part to a 15+ year stay at their current (and often only) job. Additionally, those 15+ years are actually 1 year of experience repeated 15+ times. The lifer believes that getting ahead is about “staying power” and “paying their dues”, rather than tangible achievements based on applied experience in their field. When skilled individuals arrive, the lifer has no skills to fall back on to remain competitive, and instead relies on generation of politics to diminish the impact of the skilled individual.
Skilled newcomer: “I just found out the guy in the next cube is eavesdropping on me! Plus he didn’t even get the story right. He must have overheard me telling Tom about my new project in my cube yesterday, but he totally got it wrong when he told Dick and Harry about it.”
Skilled not-so-newcomer “Yeah, you gotta watch what you say… here there be lifers, matey!!!”
Skilled not-so-newcomer “Yeah, you gotta watch what you say… here there be lifers, matey!!!”
by homeslice102 August 11, 2007
A person in the military who knows he or she cannot function outside a military environment. Hence, they remain in the military for life. Even after retirement, a lifer will remain in the type of social structure fostered by military retirees. In other words, a group whose authoritarian characteristics can only exist around military people. "Lifer" also describes a person who is imprisoned for life, either by sentencing or, as with the military types, by choice.
"Randy is a real gung-ho lifer. If he tried to act that way in the civilian world, they'd get rid of him in a heartbeat"
by Dave Lawrence Baker October 26, 2008
Lifers are characteristically unhappy unless they are presenting a knife-hand to your face. They use this action in conjunction with a verbal reprimand for extremely minor infractions of marine corps regulations. They believe this is the proper way to enforce such regulations and take sadistic pleasure every chance they get to exercise this practice, commonly referred to as "lifing". Lifers are typically sergeants or above but can also be found in lower ranks. Lifers, ironically but understandably, have no life.
by cpoc February 10, 2007
A person who participates on Second Life, particularly someone that develops an obsessive addiction to it. They generally use Second Life as an escape from being fat and ugly and still living with their parents at the age of 40.
"I used to hang out with my bud Fred until he turned into a freakin' Lifer. Now I don't see him anymore. Between you and me, I think he's got some sorta liferdiction."
by gregjockca May 20, 2007
by Georgia Mcleod August 25, 2018