life span

American

noun

the longest period over which the life of any organism or species may extend, according to the available biological knowledge concerning it.
the longevity of an individual.

life span British

noun

the period of time during which a human being, animal, machine, etc, may be expected to live or function under normal conditions

"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 span

First recorded in 1915–20

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.

IBM has pivoted several times in its life span.

From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025

Technological advances may turn back aging, extending the average life span by at least a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025

But subsequent analyses show this variant is not necessary or sufficient to extend life span.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 20, 2024

The females behave more like males, but this also reduces their life span and reproductive output.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2024

That discussion, however, did not go into the life span of journeys.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023