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 agreement also offers long-lasting protections for Betancourt and unnamed investors.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Mass Effect in particular is regarded as having a long-lasting influence on the video game industry thanks to its ambitious narrative and inclusion of same-sex relationships.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Was it a long-lasting stomach virus or something more?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
A supernova would normally be expected if a long-lasting X-ray flash had been produced by the collapse of a massive star.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
It seems implausible that the exchange could have been entirely one-way— that the natives have had little or no long-lasting impact on the newcomers.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
