longstanding

American  

[lawng-stan-ding, long-] / ˈlɔŋˈstæn dɪŋ, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

1. existing or occurring for a long time.

   a longstanding feud.

   Synonyms:

   long-lasting, lasting, enduring

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Etymology

Origin of longstanding

First recorded in 1595–1605; long ¹ + standing

Explanation

Anything longstanding has been around for a long time. If it's a longstanding tradition for your school's senior class to play a prank, that means it was even going on back when your grandfather's class let hundreds of crickets loose in the halls. Humans keeping cats as pets is a longstanding custom, and the habit of cooking food before eating it is also longstanding. You can call yourself a longstanding customer of your town's last remaining video store if you've been going there for years, or a longstanding fan of your favorite tennis player if you've followed her entire career. The adjective longstanding has been around since the early 1800s, so it's longstanding too.

Example Sentences

That widened Canada’s longstanding surplus with its biggest trading partner to C$9.48 billion, the largest since February last year after a C$7.78 billion surplus in March.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

There is a longstanding parliamentary convention that the Speaker does not give reasons for decisions.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

The study also seeks to address longstanding gaps in representation.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

Lidia Bastianich has a longstanding relationship with PBS, while Ina Garten lives immortal with “Be My Guest.”

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

I mention the recent, widely publicized remarks of Elphias Doge, Special Advisor to the Wizengamot and longstanding friend of Albus Dumbledore’s, that “Skeeter’s book contains less fact than a Chocolate Frog card.”

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling