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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.

It's a relatively safe country, globally famous for its stunning landscapes, and people living there enjoy a high life expectancy.

From BBC

Predictably, life expectancy shortened dramatically, so many of the warriors and their captains are teenagers and children.

From Los Angeles Times

However, after deeper analysis, only tyrosine showed a consistent and potentially causal relationship with reduced life expectancy in men.

From Science Daily

The Isle of Man legislation set life expectancy at 12 months.

From BBC

Average life expectancy in Denmark, at 80, is 10 years higher than in Greenland.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.