life expectancy

American  

noun

• life expectancies
  plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• life expectancies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of life expectancy

First recorded in 1930–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

life expectancy

Casey said that is a positive reflection of improvements in life expectancy but brings challenges which need "long-term planning and coordinated action".

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Surging yields in recent weeks have distorted other markets, extending the life expectancy of two other popular flavors of debt securities: mortgage bonds and Treasury futures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The UN agency said healthy life expectancy had recovered from the pandemic more slowly, standing at 62.8 years in 2023 -- 0.4 years below the 2019 level.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

In these cases, screening may have offered little benefit because poor health or limited life expectancy meant that finding and treating the cancer was unlikely to improve health or extend life.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

I do not know when I will die, but there are tables which tell me what my life expectancy is and insurers will insure me on the basis of those tables.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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Related Words

• longevity

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