life span
Americannoun
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life spans
plural
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the longest period over which the life of any organism or species may extend, according to the available biological knowledge concerning it.
-
the longevity of an individual.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of life span
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
Subsequent research has connected it to improved insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular protection, longer life span, and the preservation of cognitive function.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
At the individual level, you may extract much more or much less than you paid in, depending on accidents such as your life span.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
They’re pretty to look at, but they have a limited life span.
From Barron's ● Dec. 17, 2025
These burrow-dwelling rats have a maximum life span of nearly 40 years, making them the world's longest-lived rodent.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2025
Rage blazed up in him often, but its atoms were too active for preservation and its life span was brief like the kick and the flame of an afterburner in his father’s F-8.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
