Meaning & use
long-time
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Having lasted, or having been in a certain role, for many years up to now.
Grammar: Only comes before a noun: my long-time neighbor, not 'my neighbor is long-time'.
Patterns
- a long-time friend
- a long-time supporter of something
My long-time dentist retired last spring, so I had to find a new one.
The senator is a long-time supporter of public libraries.
They have been long-time rivals, though they respect each other.
Common combinations
- long-time friend
- A long-time friend lent them the money for the deposit.
- long-time resident
- Long-time residents remember when the street was a dirt road.
- long-time fan
- As a long-time fan, he owns every album the band released.
- long-time partner
- She thanked her long-time partner in her speech.
- long-time rival
- The team beat its long-time rival in the final seconds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- longstanding
- It is used for things like agreements, problems and traditions, while 'long-time' more often describes a person's relationship or role.
- lifelong
- It means lasting your whole life, which is stronger and more specific than 'long-time'.
- old
- As in 'an old friend', it is warmer and more casual, and it can sound like age or just familiarity.
- established
- It says something has been set up and recognized, but does not say how many years a person has been involved.
Opposites
Word family
- longtime adjective
- a common one-word spelling with the same meaning
- long-term adjective
- lasting or planned for a long time in the future
- long-standing adjective
- having existed for many years
- long adjective
- lasting a great amount of time
Commonly confused: long-time or long-term?
long-time vs long-term
'Long-time' looks back at a past that continues to now, as in a long-time friend. 'Long-term' looks ahead or covers an extended period, as in a long-term plan.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'long-time' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Long-time' must come before a noun, as in 'long-time member'. The other options place it after a verb or confuse it with 'long-term' or the noun phrase 'a long time'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “long-time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.