life expectancy

noun

: the average lifespan of an individual

Examples of life expectancy in a Sentence

improvements in diet that have resulted in greater life expectancy for many people

calculating the life expectancies of different social groups

Recent Examples on the Web

When controlling for traditional predictors of mortality, only smoking showed a stronger association with life expectancy than insufficient sleep. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

China's eastern coastal region is associated with lower obesity, cardiovascular risk, and higher life expectancy. — New Atlas, 15 July 2026

The researchers found that insufficient sleep was significantly negatively correlated with life expectancy in most states across that time frame, meaning lower sleep insufficiency meant longer life expectancy. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026

Compared with other high-income nations, our life expectancy is shorter. — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

life expectancy

noun

: the number of years that an individual or group of a certain age can expect to live on the average based on experience in the past for individuals or groups of the same kind

Medical Definition

life expectancy

noun

: an expected number of years of life based on statistical probability

Legal Definition

life expectancy

noun

: the average life span of an individual