longevity
English
Alternative forms
- longævity (archaic)
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin longaevitās, from longaevus (“ancient, aged”) + -itās.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /lɒŋˈd͡ʒɛv.ɪ.ti/, /lɒnˈd͡ʒɛv.ɪ.ti/
Audio (Southern England) (file) Audio (Southern England) (file)
- (US, Canada) IPA(key): /lɑŋˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ti/, [lɑŋˈd͡ʒɛv.ə.ɾi]
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /lɔŋˈd͡ʒev.ə.ti/, [lɔŋˈd͡ʒev.ə.ɾi]
Noun
longevity (countable and uncountable, plural longevities)
- The quality of being long-lasting, especially of life.
- Grandpa had incredible longevity: he lived to be 105 years old!
- 2020 July 1, David Allen, “Signalling from Leeds along the S&C”, in Rail, page 74:
- This 142-year-old tiny ex-LNWR SB [signal box, at Batley] is an amazing survivor, probably owing its longevity to its location alongside a level crossing. Indeed it started life as a gate box with the delightful name of Lady Ann's Crossing.
- Duration over time; persistence.
- 2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 255:
- A ‘postdating’ is an example of the use of a lexical item at a later date than currently recorded and these are important in establishing the longevity of use of a term and whether or not it has become obsolete.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
the quality of being long-lasting, especially of life
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References
- “longevity”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
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