noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Used for matters of survival, critical importance, or existential stakes. Often appears in compounds like 死活問題 (matter of life and death).
This contract is a matter of life and death for the company.
Since it's a life-or-death issue, we must judge carefully.
life and death (of a group of stones in Go)
Technical Go term referring to whether a group of stones can survive or will be captured.
The life and death of this corner group depends on whether Black plays first.
This decision is a matter of life and death for the company.
A lack of funds could determine whether the company survives.
It's difficult to read whether this group of stones will live or die.
死活 is often used for urgent, individual survival matters (as in 死活問題), while 存亡 focuses on whether a nation or organization continues to exist or perishes.
死活 (life-and-death stakes) and 生活 (everyday life/living) look similar but mean very different things—learners sometimes misread one for the other.
matter of life or death; life-and-death problem
Compound of 死 (death) and 活 (life). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji directly convey the meaning.