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• long-ago
  long-ago

  adjective

  of or relating to the distant past or to remote events; ancient.
• long ago
  long ago

  A time well before the present, the distant past. For example, I read that book long ago, or The battles of long ago were just as fierce. [Second half of 1300s]

long-ago

American  

[lawng-uh-goh, long-] / ˈlɔŋ əˌgoʊ, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the distant past or to remote events; ancient.

   long-ago exploits remembered only in folk tales.

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long ago Idioms  

1. A time well before the present, the distant past. For example, I read that book long ago, or The battles of long ago were just as fierce. [Second half of 1300s]

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Etymology

Origin of long-ago

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Neither were most of them hurting for attention, which is probably why my brain connected those long-ago irritants with this present one.

From Salon • Jul. 3, 2026

As they read your long-ago emails and memos, you want your years of hard work, passion and loyalty to your employer to jump off the page.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

If it weren’t for the long-ago gift of some 3,000 gorgeous sylvan acres from a cranky jailbird with a civic conscience and a large and very taxable real estate portfolio, we wouldn’t have Griffith Park.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Unlike the long-ago transition to the cloud, which undid many existing software firms, incumbents aren’t being complacent this time around.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

She has almost no makeup on at all, and I can suddenly see that long-ago baby in her face.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Related Words

• earlier
• early
• late
• old
• preceding
• previous
• prior
• recent