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
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.
They will speak to each patient about their exposure to the virus to determine their risk, and “then there’ll be some conversations about the most appropriate duration of quarantine for these individuals,” she said.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
No duration time has been announced for the World Cup show, although soccer halftimes are not supposed to last more than 15 minutes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
It’s a flimsy device that has to be maintained almost for the duration of the story.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Fans attending the World Cup in the United States are facing significant costs, with tickets, hotels and transport all inflated for the duration of the tournament.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
When we arrived at Tallebudgera we scampered off the bus, grabbed our sleeping bags and clothes, and walked across the patchy grass to the shabby huts that were home for the duration.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
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.
