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

Human life expectancy has roughly doubled over the past 150 years. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026

Doctors do not currently know whether stiff-person syndrome impacts an individual's life expectancy, according to Croll, who said some patients have lived a few years after diagnosis while others have gone on to live for decades. — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Health care was more accessible; life expectancy went up by almost two decades between 2004 and 2010. — Robin Wright, New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2026

This may be particularly important for women, who have a higher life expectancy and therefore a higher lifetime risk of cognitive decline and dementia. — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 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