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• long distance
  long distance

  noun

  telephone service between distant places.
• long-distance
  long-distance

  adjective

  of, from, or between distant places.

long distance

¹ American  

noun

1. telephone service between distant places.

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long-distance ² American  

[lawng-dis-tuhns, long-] / ˈlɔŋˈdɪs təns, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

1. of, from, or between distant places.

   a long-distance phone call.

2. for, over, or covering long distances.

   a long-distance runner.

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adverb

1. by long-distance telephone.

   to call someone long-distance.

long-distance British  

noun

1. (modifier) covering relatively long distances

   a long-distance driver

2. (modifier) (of telephone calls, lines, etc) connecting points a relatively long way apart

3. a long-distance telephone call

4. a long-distance telephone system or its operator

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adverb

1. by a long-distance telephone line

   he phoned long-distance

Etymology

Origin of long distance¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Origin of long-distance²

First recorded in 1880–85

Explanation

Something long-distance occurs between two points that are very far away from each other. A long-distance truck driver has a route that takes her many miles from one city to another. A long-distance phone call is one that you make between two distant places, like Kansas City and Mumbai; and a long-distance relationship is one in which the two people live in different cities, like Seattle and Dallas. A long-distance runner, as opposed to a sprinter, takes part in marathons and other long races. In 1884, this adjective first began describing telephone calls — it's since become less common to use it this way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

long distance long-distance

As a result, long distance events such as the 3,000m steeplechase and 10,000m, and field events such as the shot put and discus, have been left out.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Say you have to walk a long distance in cold weather because your car ran out of gas?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

The ULR in its designation stands for "ultra long distance", a feat made possible by an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank being fitted to Airbus's A350-1000 model.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

While it was tempting to jump right in with both feet, we decided to date long distance and take things slowly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Ray’s voice comes from a long distance away.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Being a sports-mad country, Australia was always on the NFL's radar, and after testing long-distance logistics with trips to Brazil in 2024 and 2025, the league felt ready to head down under.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

While throwing, the chimpanzees pant hoot — a loud, long-distance communicative signal — and sometimes repeatedly hit their hands and feet on the tree in a behavior called buttress drumming.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

For Kate Jones, who had to give up long-distance running after an ankle injury, setting the New York record in 2023 restored her sense of autonomy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Now 60, I have outlived my mother, and I’m also surrounded by young people — my two daughters and my students — just as my parents were on their long-distance adventures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

I can get Dr. Kelly to— —Look, isn’t there some way you can call Dr. Carrothers long-distance?

From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper