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, valid, or usable.

   Synonym: working life (of durable goods)

   • 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.

   • 2021 January 30, “China’s first Hualong One nuclear reactor begins operations”, in AP News‎^[2], archived from the original on 30 January 2021‎^[3]:

     The reactor, located in the city of Fuqing city in China’s southeastern Fujian province, was designed to have a 60-year lifespan, with its core equipment domestically produced.

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