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decades-long

adjective

de·​cades-long ˈde-ˌkādz-ˌlȯŋ How to pronounce decades-long (audio)
variants or less commonly decadeslong
: lasting two or more decades : occurring over a period of two or more decades
a decades-long career
… no discussion of wolf research would be complete without mention of this fascinating, decades-long study.Robert R. Ream
His decades-long accumulation of books makes an eclectic mix …Stephen Mihm

Examples of decades-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.
His 1966 work Rosencrantz, which chronicled the plight of two minor players in Hamlet and their building confusion over the progression of events in the Bard's tragedy, kicked his decades-long theater career into high gear, winning him the Tony for Best Play. Jason Clark, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Nov. 2025 The decades-long mystery surrounding strange, unknown objects spotted throughout the skies has long remained under classification and shielded from the American public. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025 Reflecting on his decades-long career, Morgan says the work feels even more meaningful now. Sarah Jones, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025 Trump did not clarify if tests would be full-scale explosive ones breaking a decades-long moratorium and pointing to a reprise of the Cold War suspicions that had previously brought adversaries to the brink of World War Three. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decades-long

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decades-long was in 1930

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Cite this Entry

“Decades-long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decades-long. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

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