Refers to the boundary or matters of life and death. Often used in serious contexts such as survival, fate, or critical situations.
See also: 生死 (せいし)
It's a matter of life and death, so we must judge carefully.
On the battlefield, life and death are separated by a thin line.
Standard spelling with regular okurigana.
Irregular okurigana usage; the same kanji are normally read せいし. Learners should use 生き死に to avoid confusion.
Compound of 生き (iki, 'living') + 死に (shini, 'dying'), both continuative forms of verbs 生きる and 死ぬ.