in the long run

Over a lengthy period of time, in the end. For example, He realized that in the long run, their argument wouldn't seem so awful. This expression, which originated as at the long run in the early 1600s, presumably alludes to a runner who continues on his course to the end. Economist John Maynard Keynes used it in a much-quoted quip about economic planning: “In the long run we are all dead.” The antonym, in the short run, meaning “over a short period of time,” dates only from the 1800s. The novelist George Eliot used both in a letter (October 18, 1879): “Mrs. Healy's marriage is surely what you expected in the long or short run.”

Discover More

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.

I was certain it would be the right decision in the long run, especially if one or both of us became ill or disabled.

Creating a national agency not only allows for more data-sharing and expertise, but it can also reduce costs in the long run.

He added: “It will likely lead to higher mortgage rates in the long run, though, because there’s a cost to that.”

“Maybe 4 rather than 5. As a dictator he had many virtues in the long run, and that rates him higher in my estimation.”

Browse