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

Those who had reached age 20 in the 1930s had average life expectancies of nearly 69, according to government statistics, and those who were already 65 had an average life expectancy of nearly 78. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025

In 2023, there was roughly a 5.3-year difference in life expectancy between sexes, according to U.S. population data released in December from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2025

The result has been an unprecedented peacetime decline in overall U.S. life expectancy. —David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025

San Jose, California San Jose, California took second place with the longest average life expectancy in the country, according to WalletHub's report. —Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, Fox News, 10 Mar. 2025

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