Which phrase best matches typical lifespan?

• A. Average life expectancy
• B. Life expectancy
• C. Maximum lifespan
• D. Healthy life expectancy

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how we describe the typical amount of time people in a population can expect to live. The phrase that best matches that idea is average life expectancy. It conveys the central tendency—the average number of years a person is expected to live given current mortality patterns. Life expectancy is a related term, but it’s a broader label that can refer to different definitions (often at birth or at a given age) and doesn’t always emphasize the average in everyday language. Maximum lifespan, by contrast, refers to the longest possible or observed lifespan, not what’s typical. Healthy life expectancy, meanwhile, counts the years lived in good health, not total years. So the best fit for “typical lifespan” is average life expectancy.