Lifespan

How to spell lifespan

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce lifespan

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does lifespan mean?

1. nounThe length of time for which a person, animal, or thing lives or remains functional.

Lifespan in a sentence

• The average human lifespan has risen steadily over the past century.

• Replacing the battery early can extend the laptop's lifespan by several years.

Where does lifespan come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a modern English compound formed from two very old native words. 'Life' descends from Old English 'lif', meaning the condition of being alive, while 'span' comes from Old English 'spann', which originally described a measured distance, especially the width of an outstretched hand from thumb to little finger. Over time 'span' broadened from a measure of distance to a measure of duration, so a 'span' of years simply meant a stretch of time. The two words were joined to express the full stretch of time a living thing remains alive, and the closed-up single-word spelling became standard during the twentieth century as the idea gained currency in biology and medicine. The main spelling question for adults is simply whether to write it as one word or two: in modern usage the solid form 'lifespan' is now the accepted standard.

How the word is built

• life (existence, living state)
• span (a stretch or extent of time)