life span
noun
the longest period over which the life of any organism or species may extend, according to the available biological knowledge concerning it.
life spans
-
pluralof life span.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Index retirement ages to current life spans rather than to historic markers set when people died younger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Americans are increasingly working into their 60s due to a combination of the high cost of living, longer life spans, a lack of retirement savings and, in some cases, because they want to.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
“Drug discovery is just one part,” Visser said in the video, noting that AI can lead to lower medical costs and longer life spans thanks to the “confluence of gene therapy, robotics and diagnostics accelerating.”
From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025
As “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” come to a close, we look back at 10 past and present soap operas with long life spans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2025
It did bother me, though, how those futuristic replicants with their limited, four-year life spans, desperately wanted to live longer.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
