long run

noun

: a relatively long period of time
—usually used in the phrase in the long run
long-run
ˈlȯŋ-ˈrən How to pronounce long run (audio)
adjective

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of long run was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near long run

longroot

long run

longs and shorts

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Long run.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20run. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Games & Quizzes

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
winning words from the national spelling bee logo
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...