lifespan

See also: life span

English

Alternative forms

• life span

Etymology

life +‎ span

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

lifespan (plural lifespans)

1. The length of time for which an organism lives.
   • 2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist‎^[1], volume 100, number 2, page 172:

     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.

   • 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Nexus:

     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.

   Some clams have lifespans far longer than those of human beings.

2. (by extension) The length of time for which something exists or is current or valid.
   • 2002, Luis M Camarinha-Matos, Collaborative business ecosystems and virtual enterprises:

     The virtual enterprise forum developed several "classical" management functions for which resources were available throughout its lifespan.

Synonyms

• lifetime

Related terms

• for life, lifelong

Translations

length of time for which an organism lives

• Arabic: عُمْر (ar) (ʕumr)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 壽命／寿命 (sau⁶ ming⁶)

  Mandarin: 壽命／寿命 (zh) (shòumìng)

• Finnish: elinikä (fi), elinaika (fi)
• French: durée de vie (fr) f (duration, property), longévité (fr) f (property)
• German: Lebenserwartung (de) f
• Hungarian: élettartam (hu)
• Malayalam: ആയുസ്സ് (ml) (āyussŭ)
• Navajo: są́ náʼoogą́ą́ʼ
• Polish: długość życia, żywotność (pl) f
• Russian: продолжи́тельность жи́зни f (prodolžítelʹnostʹ žízni)
• Sanskrit: आयुष (sa) n (āyuṣa)
• Spanish: ciclo de vida m, ciclo vital
• Turkish: ömür (tr)

length of time for which something exists

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 壽命／寿命 (sau⁶ ming⁶)

  Mandarin: 壽命／寿命 (zh) (shòumìng)

• French: durée de vie (fr) f
• German: Lebensdauer (de) f
• Hungarian: élettartam (hu)
• Malayalam: കാലാവധി (ml) (kālāvadhi)
• Spanish: vida útil f, vida (es) f