lifer vs inmate

lifer and inmate both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
lifer	Yes	No	No	No
inmate	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, inmate is a hypernym of lifer; that is, inmate is a word with a broader meaning than lifer:

Other hypernyms of lifer include con, convict, yard bird, yardbird.

lifer (noun)	inmate (noun)
a prisoner serving a term of life imprisonment	one of several resident of a dwelling (especially someone confined to a prison or hospital)
	a patient who is residing in the hospital where he is being treated
	a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison