prolonged

[pruh-lawngd, -longd]

adjective

1. lasting a long time; lengthy.

   Regular or prolonged absence from school without a valid reason may result in the absentee being barred from examinations.

2. lengthened or extended in time or space.

   Technological innovations in the ICU have led to artificially prolonged life, with associated costs.

   Abnormally shortened or prolonged telomeres are a hallmark of cancer.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of prolong.

Other Word Forms

• unprolonged adjective
• well-prolonged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prolonged¹

prolong ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

But the performance was marred by a one-time charge of $4.9 billion on the 777X program, which has faced a prolonged certification process with US air officials.

Read more on Barron's

While it’s unusual to see such a dynamic over a prolonged period, a “significant productivity story” is underway, with companies investing to grow and getting results without necessarily adding workers, he said.

Read more on MarketWatch

When it comes to the price stability portion of the Fed’s dual mandate, the U.S. finds itself in a prolonged period of stubbornly high inflation.

Read more on MarketWatch

On the flip side, lower rates alongside widening credit spreads, continued trade frictions, or a prolonged shutdown could keep shifting the barometer further into risk-off.

Read more on Barron's

The stock market’s record-setting rally faces a midweek double whammy as a pivotal Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision collides with a flood of megacap tech earnings — all unfolding against the backdrop of a prolonged government shutdown.

Read more on MarketWatch