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

And yet life expectancy in this city still swings by more than a decade depending on your zip code. — Ida Kristensen, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

Patients diagnosed before 45 face a faster loss of blood sugar control, earlier cardiovascular complications and a shorter overall life expectancy than those diagnosed later in life. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Fleming’s petri-dish experiments and the resulting development of modern antibiotics have added an average of 23 years to human life expectancy and are estimated to save millions of lives each year. — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

The median life expectancy for a giraffe in human care is 20 years, according to the association. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 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