from the cradle to the grave
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The welfare state was described by its intellectual architect, Lord Beveridge, as a structure built to protect the individual “ from the cradle to the grave. ”
It was, or it has been, a belief that the N H S was for all of us from the cradle to the grave.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “from the cradle to the grave” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “from the cradle to the grave” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.