Dictionary

longevity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /lɔnˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ti/ dialects, US, lot–cloth split
• [lɒnˈd͡ʒev.ə.ɾi] (New-Zealand)
• /lɒnˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ti/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /lɔŋˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ti/ dialects, US, lot–cloth split
• /lɔnˈd͡ʒev.ə.ti/ (Australia)
• [lɔnˈd͡ʒev.ə.ɾi] (Australia)
• [lɒŋˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ɾi] (Canada, dialectal) of the US
• /lɒŋ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [lɔ̃nˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ti] dialects, US, lot–cloth split
• [lɑ̃nˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ɾi] (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
• /lɒnˈd͡ʒev.ə.ti/ (New-Zealand)
• /lɒnˈd͡ʒɛv.ɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /lɑnˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ti/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger, dialectal) of Canada
• [lɔ̃ŋˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ti] dialects, US, lot–cloth split
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Early 17th century, learned borrowing from Latin longaevitās, from longaevus (“ancient, aged”) + -itās. The first part is related to English long and this association led to the alternative pronunciation with /ŋ/.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The quality of being long-lasting, especially of life.
   • The longevity of spicy and swicy will depend on how committed consumers are to sticking with these flavors as they grow older. 2024 June 2, Parija Kavilanz, “‘Swicy’ is the hottest trend in food right now”, in CNN:
   • Grandpa had incredible longevity: he lived to be 105 years old!
   • This 142-year-old tiny ex-LNWR SB [signal box, at Batley] is an amazing survivor, probably owing its longevity to its location alongside a level crossing. Indeed it started life as a gate box with the delightful name of Lady Ann's Crossing. 2020 July 1, David Allen, “Signalling from Leeds along the S&C”, in Rail, page 74:
2. (countable, uncountable) Duration over time; persistence.
   • A ‘postdating’ is an example of the use of a lexical item at a later date than currently recorded and these are important in establishing the longevity of use of a term and whether or not it has become obsolete. 2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 255:

Forms

Deriveds

longevity rice · prolongevity · longevity noodle · longevity peach · shortgevity · longevitous

Relateds

longevous

Synonyms

permanence · long-livedness

Translations (44)

be даўгале́цце (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ga buaine (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · lus damreina (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · mi mauriroa (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · pl długowieczność (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ru долгожи́тельство (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · nl levensduur (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · pt longevidade (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · vi tuổi thọ cao (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · grc μακροβίωσις (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · de lange Lebensdauer (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ko 장수 (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ja 長寿 (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · de Langlebigkeit (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · el μακροζωία (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · hu hosszú élet (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · km អាយុវែង (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · uk довгожи́тельство (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · bg дълголетие (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · uk довголі́ття (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · it longevità (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · id panjang umur (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · lus daihreina (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ru долголе́тие (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · lus tlona (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · fi pitkäikäisyys (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · bo ཚེ་རིང་པོ (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ja 不老不死 (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ca longevitat (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · vi sự sống lâu (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · km ទីឃាយុភាព (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · tr uzun ömürlülük (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · cy hirhoedledd (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ja 寿命 (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · cmn 長壽 /长寿 (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · fr longévité (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · cs dlouhověkost (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · et pikaealisus (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · la longaevitās (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · eo longviveco (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ro longevitate (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · es longevidad (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · gl lonxevidade (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life) · ga fadsaolaí (the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life)