I'm working on a project entitled "The Life Cycle of a Soldier". I'm wondering if Life Cycle is still two words, should be one word (Lifecycle), or if it matters how I spell/typeset it? I'm inclined toward Life Cycle because it seems more formal, proper, correct. Also, as a graphic designer, I like that way it looks better on the page. Thoughts? Thanks!
Welcome to the forum, toptomato. Two words seems better imho. I haven't often seen lifecycle as one word ... sounds more like a brand name for an exercise device.
Google: "life cycle" gets 48.5 million hits, "lifecycle" gets 36.4 million. Many of the latter appear to be branded usage.
According to some online dictionaries, both are acceptable, though the one-word version is listed as an "alternate" spelling.
What he said.
Ahh. That was an easy one. Thanks for concurring, and for taking the time to weigh in. Much appreciated! Done.
The software industry for some reason prefers the alternative spelling. However, the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary has an entry for "life cycle" when you search for "lifecycle" that seems to be suitable for the life cycles of software objects under definition 3.