die Lebenszeit, -en

Meaning (English):
Lebenszeit means “lifetime” or “life span”—the time during which a person, animal, or sometimes an institution/object exists or is “alive/valid.”

Main meanings

1. The duration of a person’s (or animal’s) life

   • die Lebenszeit eines Menschen = a person’s lifetime
   • Often used in neutral, biographical, legal, or statistical contexts.

2. The period of validity/operating life of something (extended/technical use)

   • Lebenszeit eines Produkts / einer Batterie = service life / lifespan
   • In law/administration: auf Lebenszeit = for life (e.g., Beamter auf Lebenszeit = civil servant appointed for life)

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Word parts

• Leben = life
• Zeit = time
  Together: “time of life” → lifetime

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German synonyms

(Depending on context)

• Lebensdauer (especially technical/objects; also general)
• Lebensspanne (often statistical/biological; “lifespan”)
• Daseinszeit (more formal/literary)
• Existenzdauer (formal)
• For auf Lebenszeit: lebenslang (as an adverb/adjective: “lifelong”)

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German antonyms

(As far as applicable)

• Tod (death; opposite state/event to life)
• Sterben (dying)
• kurze Lebensdauer / Kurzlebigkeit (short lifespan; opposite idea rather than a direct antonym)