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Synonyms

longtime

American  
[lawng-tahym, long-] / ˈlɔŋˌtaɪm, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

  1. existing, occurring, or continuing for a long period of time; times; longstanding.

    longtime friends celebrating 50 years of association.
longtime British  
/ ˈlɒŋˌtaɪm /

adjective

  1. of long standing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of longtime

First recorded in 1575–85; long 1 + time

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Young people are also more reluctant to take the longtime starting point to the working world, industry officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Just ask Ali Wong, longtime friend and director of both his specials.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

State Sen. Lisa Grafstein, a longtime civil rights lawyer, said the state bar is worried: “If you push back against the General Assembly, what’s the next thing that’s going to happen to you?”

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

For Brandon Guillebeaux, a longtime resident of this heavily Hispanic community, the trade-offs simply didn't add up.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

“It’s too bad it has to end like this,” said Harry Rowen, Ellsberg’s friend and longtime boss at Rand.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.