livsløpet

Livsløpet is a Norwegian term that denotes the life course or life cycle. It is used across disciplines to describe the sequence of stages and transitions that characterise a living being or a population over time. The word derives from liv, life, and løp, course or run.

In biology and ecology, livsløpet refers to the life cycle of organisms: the series of developmental stages from fertilization to reproduction and death, such as eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults in insects; germination and growth in plants; or alternation of generations in some species. The concept emphasizes growth, reproduction timing, and mortality, as well as how environmental factors influence different stages.

In human and social sciences, the life course perspective views an individual's life as a sequence of roles, events, and experiences shaped by social structures, culture, and personal choices. Key transitions—education, entering the labor market, partnership, parenthood, retirement—are studied for their long-term effects on health, socioeconomic status, and well-being. Public policy often uses a life-course approach to design interventions that support people across life stages, accounting for accumulated advantages or disadvantages.

In everyday language, livsløpet can refer more broadly to the overall arc of a person’s life or to the typical growth path of a product, project, or system from inception to end-of-life.