running time

American  

noun

1. Movies. the length or duration, usually expressed in minutes, of a feature film.

   The running time of the average film is 90–100 minutes.

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Etymology

Origin of running time

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The characters number four, although only two are prominent during the play’s 90-minute running time.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

In total, Avatar contains "four times as much" music as a standard Hollywood film, says Franglen, with almost the entirety of its 195-minute running time requiring music.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

And the additional running time also allows for two brand new songs -- one of which, "The Girl in the Bubble," sees Ariana Grande's popular, pink-clad heroine Glinda confront her unlikely dark past.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

And since the audience, which is admitted in groups of 60 at 15-minute intervals, will largely be standing or walking on varied surfaces during the two-hour running time, stilettos are forbidden.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

The carriages averaged 5 hours and 17 or 18 minutes daily running time.

From A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine by Thurston, Robert H.