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

Still, life expectancy overall has increased across eastern sub-Saharan Africa, more than in any other region in recent decades, largely due to efforts in addressing TB and other prominent diseases. —Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Nov. 2024

Of course rural workers, whose real wages and life expectancies keep falling, are not mourning the death of the free-market consensus. —Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024

From 65 years in 1965, life expectancy in Singapore has risen to 83.74 years in 2023, becoming the eighth highest in the world. —Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

In a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Trump held up a chart comparing life expectancy and health expenditures around the world, with the US an obvious negative outlier on both metrics. —Meg Tirrell, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024

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