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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

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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

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

Both excellent long distance runners as well as footballers in their primary school days, Tyler and Jack have tended to be viewed as a pair.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

But it was dangerous to assume she’d be able to share the burden for such a long distance.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

He said long-distance racing has featured many examples of athletes misjudging their pace or fuelling strategy and 'hitting the wall' close to the finish line.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

The incident dates back to the 1840s, when electric telegraph networks were beginning to transform long-distance communication.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

“Some of these games in Brazil and London, in which they’re having to do this very, very long-distance travel, there might be some immobility.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

As hopes to revive it fizzled, enthusiasm to turn the corridor into a long-distance trail climbed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

But it is a long-distance call from Greenville to Brooklyn, too much money and not enough time to explain that New York City is gray rock and quick-moving cars.

From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson

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