prolonged

American  

[pruh-lawngd, -longd] / prəˈlɔŋd, -ˈlɒŋd /

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.

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• unprolonged adjective
• well-prolonged adjective

Etymology

Origin of prolonged

prolong ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Brands and bottle manufacturers warn that a prolonged war will risk making a crucial commodity prohibitively expensive for many Indians.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

“We continue to see the club channel gaining traction — potentially more amid any prolonged gas price shocks — and this latest development points to clear pricing power within the annual membership fee,” Bellinger wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

Many companies see a moment to pounce on bigger deals that would normally face prolonged antitrust scrutiny.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The trauma of losing her house left her in a prolonged depression.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

I remember the close of each of those weekend nights as a prolonged farewell.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez