long-lasting
Americanadjective
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enduring or existing for a long period of time.
a long-lasting friendship.
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effective for a relatively long period of time.
a long-lasting pain reliever.
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resisting the effects of wear or use over a long period.
a long-lasting fabric used for work clothes.
Etymology
Origin of long-lasting
First recorded in 1520–30
Explanation
Long-lasting things stick around for a while. If the medicine you're taking for your sore throat has long-lasting side effects, they'll affect you for many weeks or even months. A long-lasting relationship lasts for years, and long-lasting makeup stays on your face all day, until you wash it off at night. This adjective can mean that something is durable or resilient, or in other words that it holds up over time. Other things are simply long-lasting by coincidence — they've just been there for a 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.
The Chicxulub crater beneath Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula formed about 65 million years ago and later hosted a long-lasting hydrothermal system.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
“TTF prices are not really reflecting the reality on the ground, of actual long-lasting supply disruptions even beyond a Strait of Hormuz opening,” says Florence Schmit, energy strategist at Rabobank.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
The WWF environmental group warned that any spill could cause long-lasting pollution in the area, among the most biodiverse in the Mediterranean basin.
From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026
One well-known study into Nazi-era education found that school-based indoctrination could have long-lasting effects, particularly when reinforced by the wider social environment.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
Like the Eurasian centers of civilization, Mesoamerica and the Andes were places where complex, long-lasting cultural traditions began.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
