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Synonyms

life expectancy

American  

noun

  1. the probable number of years remaining in the life of an individual or class of persons determined statistically, affected by such factors as heredity, physical condition, nutrition, and occupation.

life expectancy British  

noun

  1. Also called: expectation of life.  the statistically determined average number of years of life remaining after a specified age for a given group of individuals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of life expectancy

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

But medical advances and growing life expectancy have also made such deaths much rarer.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026

When Social Security was signed into law in the 1930s, life expectancy at birth was lower than the retirement age of 65 — roughly 60 years for men and 64 years for women.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Herbie scooped the record after reaching nearly twice the life expectancy of lionhead rabbits, which usually live between seven and 10 years.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Over time, the disease worsens, and life expectancy is significantly reduced.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

However, between now and the average life expectancy of seventy-five, we will live about five hundred thousand more hours.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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.