duration
Americannoun
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the length of time something continues or exists (often used withthe ).
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continuance in time.
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(in the philosophy of Bergson) a temporal continuum, intuitively known, within which the élan vital operates.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of duration
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin dūrātiōn-, stem of dūrātiō, from Latin dūrāt(us) “lasted” (past participle of dūrāre “to last”; see dure 2) + -iō -ion
Explanation
Duration is how long something lasts, from beginning to end. A duration might be long, such as the duration of a lecture series, or short, as the duration of a party. The noun duration has come to mean the length of time one thing takes to be completed. The duration of something might be known or not — in past times, the unknown length of time the current war would last was called "the duration. "Musical notes, such as whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes, have different set durations, or lengths of time for which they are held. These varying durations, when put together, create the rhythm of the music.
Vocabulary lists containing duration
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865)
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 3
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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.
Oelschig recently signed documents incorporating Palo Alto, Calif.-based Duration Ventures, according to Delaware state filings.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
“The difference is enormous. Disruption implies a temporary squeeze. Duration implies a structural premium embedded into the curve.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026
Venezuela is among the top holdings of the firm’s Emerging Markets Short Duration and Total Return Fund, making up 51.3% and 9.4% of the funds, respectively.
From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026
Country Garden's Hong Kong-listed shares fell 14.4%, their biggest daily drop since December, and most of its dollar bonds sank to below 10 cents on the dollar, according to Duration Finance.
From Reuters • Aug. 8, 2023
But the war had modified even his standards; all forms of physical exercise had become conventional for the Duration.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
