decades-long
adjective
de·cades-long
ˈde-ˌkādz-ˌlȯŋ 
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
Robert R. ReamHis decades-long accumulation of books makes an eclectic mix …—Stephen Mihm
Stephen MihmExamples of decades-long in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trends have been bucked, decades-long waits have been ended.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Our fraught national debate over immunization and public health has overshadowed some extremely encouraging advances being made by researchers in the decades-long battle against cancer.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Giant pandas are officially returning to Zoo Atlanta, marking a new chapter in a decades-long international conservation partnership.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The incident has raised suspicions here of a much broader involvement in Mexico by the CIA, an agency long assailed in Latin America because of its decades-long involvement in coups, assassination attempts and other undercover actions.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
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Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Our fraught national debate over immunization and public health has overshadowed some extremely encouraging advances being made by researchers in the decades-long battle against cancer.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Giant pandas are officially returning to Zoo Atlanta, marking a new chapter in a decades-long international conservation partnership.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The incident has raised suspicions here of a much broader involvement in Mexico by the CIA, an agency long assailed in Latin America because of its decades-long involvement in coups, assassination attempts and other undercover actions.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decades-long
Cite this Entry
“Decades-long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decades-long. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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