variants or less commonly decadelong
: lasting or occurring over a decade or about a decade
A decade-long drought in Saskatchewan and Alberta nesting areas has cut sharply into the number of birds migrating into Idaho …—Dan Knauss
The renegade gene that causes Huntington's disease has been found after a decade-long search …—Daniel Q. Haney

Examples of decade-long in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mattress shopping asks people to make a decade-long decision based on a few minutes of lying down in public. — Malana Vantyler, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 For Regeni’s family, the case became a decade-long campaign for accountability. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 The show, which follows the decade-long romance between two rival hockey players, became a global hit and launched its two stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, into the spotlight. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026 Design flaws with a pedestrian bridge are the latest hurdle in the decade-long push to connect the Bel Air and Forest Hill sections of the trail. — Luke Kaiser, Baltimore Sun, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decade-long

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decade-long was in 1974

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Cite this Entry

“Decade-long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decade-long. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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