in the long run

Idioms  

1. 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.”

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Example Sentences

The squeeze on supply, concentrated with just a few producers, will, in the long run, raise prices.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

That doesn’t mean that there’s anything in the long run for anyone to celebrate here.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2026

But in order to outperform in the long run, investors have to somehow gain exposure to those few winning stocks.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

A Bass spokesperson said after the interview that the mayor remains committed to reaching the 9,500-officer benchmark in the long run, but did not provide a timeline for getting there.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The Bible, while a little harder to come by, was cheaper in the long run.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• already
• belatedly
• eventually
• someday
• sooner or later
• subsequently
• ultimately