student asking question

What's the difference between "lifespan" and "life expectancy"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Lifespan" is the average duration of time that something lives. "Life expectancy" is similar to "lifespan" except it is the expected or predicted duration of someone's life. Ex: The human lifespan is longer than the lifespan of a dog. Ex: Smoking decreases life expectancy.

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