Dictionary

lifespan en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈlaɪf.spæn/

Etymology

From life + span.

Meanings

1. The length of time for which an organism lives.
   • What the devil happened to my year? Another little digit on my lifespan, what a bore. 2011, Felix Hagan, “Just Like All The Rest”, in Dawn Breaks, the Monster Wakes...:
   • Some clams have lifespans far longer than those of human beings.
   • Asari Cultural VI: Due to our lifespan-sometimes reaching 1,000 years of age-we are patient in our decisions, and prefer long-term solutions over short-term gains. 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Nexus:
   • Meronym: healthspan
   • Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals. 2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2013, page 172:
2. (broadly) The length of time for which something exists or is current, valid, or usable.
   • The reactor, located in the city of Fuqing city in China’s southeastern Fujian province, was designed to have a 60-year lifespan, with its core equipment domestically produced. 2021 January 30, “China’s first Hualong One nuclear reactor begins operations”, in AP News, archived from the original on 30 Jan 2021:
   • The virtual enterprise forum developed several "classical" management functions for which resources were available throughout its lifespan. 2002, Luis M Camarinha-Matos, Collaborative business ecosystems and virtual enterprises:

Forms

Coordinates

healthspan

Hypernyms

timespan · span

Relateds

for life · lifelong

Synonyms

lifetime · lifetime · working life[durable good]]s>

Translations (34)

yue 壽命 /寿命 (length of time for which an organism lives) · ru продолжи́тельность жи́зни (length of time for which an organism lives) · nv są́ náʼoogą́ą́ʼ (length of time for which an organism lives) · ml കാലാവധി (length of time for which something exists) · fr durée de vie (length of time for which an organism lives) · fi elinikä (length of time for which an organism lives) · ta ஆயுள் (length of time for which an organism lives) · es ciclo de vida (length of time for which an organism lives) · ml ആയുസ്സ് (length of time for which an organism lives) · de Lebenserwartung (length of time for which an organism lives) · hu élettartam (length of time for which something exists) · ta ஆயுட்காலம் (length of time for which something exists) · cmn 壽命 /寿命 (length of time for which something exists) · es ciclo vital (length of time for which an organism lives) · pl długość życia (length of time for which an organism lives) · sip སྐུ་ཚེ (length of time for which an organism lives) · es vida (length of time for which something exists) · hu élettartam (length of time for which an organism lives) · yue 壽命 /寿命 (length of time for which something exists) · cmn 壽命 /寿命 (length of time for which an organism lives) · sa आयुष (length of time for which an organism lives) · fr durée de vie (length of time for which something exists) · es duración vital (length of time for which an organism lives) · pl żywotność (length of time for which an organism lives) · ta அகவை (length of time for which something exists) · es vida útil (length of time for which something exists) · sv livslängd (length of time for which an organism lives) · fi elinaika (length of time for which an organism lives) · ta வாழ்நாள் (length of time for which an organism lives) · ar عُمْر (length of time for which an organism lives) · de Lebensdauer (length of time for which something exists) · tr ömür (length of time for which an organism lives) · es longevidad (length of time for which an organism lives) · fr longévité (length of time for which an organism lives)