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.
The $60 million spectacle is the culmination of a decades-long relationship between a president and a sport that harnessed bravado to reach America’s most prominent address. Zac Anderson, USA Today, 12 June 2026 Disclosure Day, based on an original story by Spielberg, centers on a decades-long government conspiracy to cover up the existence of alien life, and the group of defectors intent on releasing that intel to the public. Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026 Sir Ridley Scott is a true visionary whose decades-long legacy has left an immeasurable impact on global cinema and culture. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 10 June 2026 Researchers say this period was marked by a slowdown of decades-long progress against cardiovascular disease. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026 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 20 Jun. 2026.

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