life span

noun

Definition of life span

1 : the average length of life of a kind of organism or of a material object especially in a particular environment or under specified circumstances
2 : the duration of existence of an individual

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Examples of life span in a Sentence

the average life span of house cats increase the human life span

Recent Examples on the Web

On average, their life span is 70 years, and the animals often weigh between 510 to 1,100 pounds, according to the National Geographic. Eric Todisco, PEOPLE.com, "Marium, the 'Sweetheart' Dugong from Thailand, Dies After Ingesting Plastic," 19 Aug. 2019 The palm trees of Didion’s Los Angeles are reaching the end of their 100-year life span, their deaths accelerated by fungi and insects that prey easily on the non-native species. Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "How palm frond print went from the French Riviera to Target," 12 July 2019 As a general rule, the more massive the star, the shorter its life span. Catherine Zuckerman, National Geographic, "Everything you wanted to know about stars," 20 Mar. 2019 Balance Class: Balance problems limit your activities and undermine your independence, disrupt gait, increase risk for falls and shorten your life span. chicagotribune.com, "Calendar: Learn about beekeeping Tuesday in Lake Forest," 4 Aug. 2019 Isaac is 32 -- the life span of a lemur is about 20 to 25 years, according to federal officials. Faith Karimi, CNN, "Teen confesses to breaking into a California zoo at night and stealing an endangered lemur," 10 July 2019 Someone experienced in arts funding once told me that the average life span of a small arts organization is eight years. Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, "Review: Zenon Dance Company’s farewell is exhilarating and touching," 14 June 2019 The group cited an aging population and longer life spans. Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, "University of Maryland School of Medicine set to train more doctors for rural areas," 18 July 2019 Researcher Grace Lu-Yao of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said the potential dementia risks from hormone-blocking treatment may outweigh any benefit for younger, healthier patients with longer expected life spans. Lindsey Tanner, BostonGlobe.com, "Dementia tied to hormone-blocking prostate cancer treatment," 5 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'life span.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of life span

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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More Definitions for life span

life span

noun

English Language Learners Definition of life span

: the amount of time that a person or animal actually lives

life span

noun
\ ˈlīf-ˌspan How to pronounce life span (audio) \

Medical Definition of life span

1 : the duration of existence of an individual
2 : the average length of life of a kind of organism or of a material object especially in a particular environment or under specified circumstances

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