life span

American  

noun

1. the longest period over which the life of any organism or species may extend, according to the available biological knowledge concerning it.

2. the longevity of an individual.

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life span British  

noun

1. the period of time during which a human being, animal, machine, etc, may be expected to live or function under normal conditions

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Etymology

Origin of life span

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

They’re pretty to look at, but they have a limited life span.

From Barron's

IBM has pivoted several times in its life span.

From Barron's

These burrow-dwelling rats have a maximum life span of nearly 40 years, making them the world's longest-lived rodent.

From BBC

In experiments, researchers led by study leader Jinghui Luo, in the Center for Life Sciences at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, have discovered that this substance is capable of extending the life span of small nematode worms, improving their mobility in old age, and strengthening the powerhouses of their cells - the mitochondria.

From Science Daily

Worst case: Insolvent Americans somehow paid off their subprime mortgage loans, and you were stuck paying an insurance premium of roughly 2 percent a year for as long as six years—the longest expected life span of the putatively thirty-year loans.

From Literature