levenlang

Levenslang is a Dutch adjective meaning lifelong or for life. It is most commonly found in compounds rather than as a stand-alone word, and the standard spelling is levenslang. A common misspelling is levenlang (without the s), which is generally considered incorrect in standard Dutch.

Etymology and form: Levenslang is formed from leven (life) and lang (long), functioning as a closed compound in many expressions. When used before a noun, the attributive form typically changes to levenslange, as in levenslange straf (life imprisonment) or levenslange verplichting, while in phrases with a verb such as leren the form remains levenslang (levenslang leren).

Usage and contexts: Levenslang is widely used in education, labor policy, and law. In education and policy discourse, phrases like levenslang leren (lifelong learning) describe the idea that people should continually update skills and knowledge throughout their lives. In the legal field, the term appears in the noun phrase levenslange straf (life sentence). The concept also appears in discussions of aging populations and social policy, where lifelong development and training are emphasized to maintain employability and well-being.

Relation to other terms: Related Dutch terms include permanente educatie (continuing education) and voortdurend leren (ongoing learning). In English, the closest equivalent is lifelong learning. The term is commonly used in the Netherlands and Flanders and is a fixture in educational and policy-related language.

Note: While the canonical spelling is levenslang, the separate word levenlang is not standard and is typically considered a nonstandard variant or misspelling in formal writing.