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

This makes Japan and Singapore leaders in both healthy life expectancy and labor force participation among older workers. — Runchana Pongsaparn, Fortune, 31 July 2026

The report compared cost to access and outcomes, including factors like monthly insurance premiums, emergency room wait times, nurses per capita, telehealth services, life expectancy, maternal mortality, child vaccination rates and more. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Of course, the actuaries had to make many assumptions about unknowables such as average life expectancy or duration of illness over the next 75 years. — Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

According to the Social Security Administration, the life expectancy of a 65-year-old American is actually 83 for men and 86 for women. — Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 25 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