Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - way of life

~ n plural ways of life 1 the way someone lives, or the way people in a society usually live  (The tribesmen's traditional way of life is under threat. | the American/British/etc way of life (=the life typical of Americans, British people etc)) 2 a job or interest that is so important that it affects everything you do  (Nursing isn't just a job; it's a whole way of life.)