lasting
Americanadjective
noun
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a strong, durable, closely woven fabric for shoe uppers, coverings on buttons, etc.
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Archaic. the quality of surviving or continuing and maintaining strength, effectiveness, etc.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lasting
First recorded in 1125–75 lasting for def. 1; 1775–85 lasting for def. 2; Middle English (adjective); last 2 + -ing 2
Explanation
If something is lasting, it sticks around for a very long time. If you and your best pal have known each other since you were three, that's a lasting friendship. Remember that time when you wore a purple plaid shirt, a green tutu, and a top hat to school? You certainly made a lasting impression! And while using donation money to throw a fabulous party might be fun in the short term, spending the cash on new books for the school library will have more of a lasting impact. This adjective is great for things that last or continue for a long, long 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.
One reason to be confident that AI’s market-beating odds won’t improve in any lasting way is a famous article written nearly forty years ago by William Sharpe, the 1990 Nobel laureate in economics.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
While Dolly Parton is best known for her decades-spanning music career, her work as an actor has also left a lasting impression on film audiences.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
“They are offering us a permanent future and lasting prosperity,” Landry said Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
"We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace."
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
As a result, European conquest did not create widespread or lasting European settlement of sub-Saharan Africa, except in the far south.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
