lifespan

noun

life·​span ˈlīf-ˌspan 

variants or less commonly life span

plural lifespans also life-spans

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

Synonyms of lifespan

• duration
• life
• lifetime
• time

Examples of lifespan in a Sentence

the average lifespan of house cats

increase the human lifespan

Recent Examples on the Web

Ordinarily, when a tire reaches the end of its lifespan, it's taken to a tire recycling facility where it gets shredded. — Ben Coxworth october 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026

That’s particularly useful for an anthology’s lifespan online today. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

Newer standard mechanical switches, including some Cherry MX2A-series switches rated for 100 million keystrokes, can have lifespans similar to those of contactless options. — ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026

Certificate lifespans are shrinking, machine identities are multiplying across cloud and AI systems and expectations around cryptographic governance are increasing. — Amit Sinha, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for lifespan

• businessman
• canavan
• caravan
• constantan
• dragoman
• fisherman
• handyman
• harmattan
• journeyman
• marianne
• middleman
• minivan

Kids Definition

life span

noun

: the average length of life of a living thing or of the persistence of a material object under specified circumstances or in a particular environment

Medical Definition

lifespan

noun

ˈlīf-ˌspan 

variants also 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