longevity
Americannoun
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a long individual life; great duration of individual life.
Our family is known for its longevity.
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the length or duration of life.
research in human longevity.
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length of service, tenure, etc.; seniority.
promotions based on longevity.
noun
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long life
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relatively long duration of employment, service, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of longevity
From the Latin word longaevitās, dating back to 1605–15. See longevous, -ity
Explanation
Something with longevity has the ability to last for a long time. While tortoises are not known for their quickness, their longevity is amazing. Just ask the Hare. At the root of longevity is the word long. So when you see longevity, think “a long time." In fact, this word has some serious longevity, since it's been around since the 1600s. Longevity is most commonly used to describe the length of one’s lifetime, but it can also mean a long duration, such as one’s longevity working for a certain company for an extended period of time.
Vocabulary lists containing longevity
100 Top "SAT" Words
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List 1
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" (1968)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Longevity medicine is many things, from peptides to body scans and biometric devices like the Oura ring.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
His 2023 book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, co-authored with science writer Bill Gifford, has reportedly sold more than 3 million copies.
From Slate • Feb. 26, 2026
But the solution isn’t having older parents leave their homes where they spent decades of their lives, and go live with someone else, says Laura Carstensen, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
"Darts is not a sport where you need to be really strong. All you need is to basically be healthy. Longevity is something in darts that will be longer than a lot of other sports."
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
Some of the star-gods, such as the God of Literature, the Goddess of the North Star, the Gods of Happiness, Longevity, etc., are noticed in other parts of this work.
From Myths and Legends of China by Werner, E. T. C. (Edward Theodore Chalmers)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
