life expectancyˌlife exˈpectancy noun [countable] 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- CDs have a life expectancy of at least 20 years.
- First, there have been substantial improvements in mortality over this century which are reflected in increased life expectancy.
- For life expectancy, the picture was similar.
- However, life expectancy on the Thames is still only four years compared with a natural figure of up to thirty years.
- In fact, women at all ages spent proportionately more of their remaining life expectancy in residential care than men.
- It is therefore crucial to include standardised mortality ratios alongside age weightings to correct for variations in life expectancy.
- Last week I decided to start running again, figuring maybe I could tack on a few hours to my life expectancy.
- The hutted wards, built more than 40 years ago with a life expectancy of 10 years are to be demolished.
Longman Language Activatorthe time when someone is alive► life
1the length of time that a person or animal is expected to live2the length of time that something is expected to continue to work, be useful etc the time when someone is alive: the happiest/saddest/worst etc day of your life: · The day our daughter was born was the happiest day of my life.the rest of somebody's life: · Sutcliffe was sent to jail for the rest of his life.spend your life: · Dad spent his life building up this business.· How would you like to spend your life? What kind of work would you like to do?for life (=for the rest of your life): · The accident left him crippled for life.somebody's early life (=when someone was young): · He knew very little about his mother's early life in Africa.somebody's adult life: · The first half of my adult life was spent in jail.in later life (=when you are old): · Lack of calcium can lead to bone disease in later life.
► lifetime the time when someone is alive - use this when you are talking about how long someone lived and what happened in their life: in/during somebody's lifetime: · He suffered a lot of pain in his short lifetime.· During Dickinson's lifetime, only a few of her works were actually published.lifetime of: · The National Medal of Arts award is meant to honor a lifetime of achievement.last a lifetime (=last as long as someone lives): · A good tool should last a lifetime.once-in-a-lifetime chance/opportunity (=a chance or opportunity that will only happen once in a person's lifetime): · The visit to Tibet was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
► days someone's life, especially a particular period of their life: somebody's student days/school days: · I asked Debbie about her student days and she just laughed. "I dropped out of school the day I turned 16," she said.somebody's younger days: · In her younger days, she was quite a fancy dresser.somebody's early days (=the time when someone has just started something, especially a job): · The play is based on the early days of cabaret singer Rosie Kincaid.the rest of your days (=the rest of your life): · Evelyn spent the rest of her days quietly in the country until her death in 1963.end your days (=spend the last part of your life doing something): · She ended her days in poverty.somebody's days as/with something (=a period of time in someone's life when they were doing a particular job or activity): · Michael knew Annette during her days as an off-Broadway actress.· I first became a fan of guitarist Cory Weldon during his days with the Leeds band, Sinister Minister.
► lifespan the length of time that a person or animal usually lives: normal/natural/average lifespan: · The natural lifespan of a pig is 10-12 years.short/long lifespan: · Saltwater fish have a shorter lifespan in the aquarium.somebody's lifespan: · Authorities estimate that smoking trims between 12 and 15 years off a person's lifespan.
► life expectancy the length of time that a person or animal is expected to live: · Women have a longer life expectancy than men.low/high life expectancy (=a short or long life): · Life expectancy was much lower then than it is now.average life expectancy: · At the beginning of the century, the average life expectancy for Americans was less than 50 years.have a life expectancy of 64/78 etc years (=be expected to live until you are 64/78 etc): · British males now have a life expectancy of around 77 years.
► life cycle all the different stages in development that an animal or plant has in the time that it is alive: · Despite decades of study, the life cycle of the tiny shellfish, krill, is still something of a mystery.