Long vs. Length: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Long refers to the extent of something in time or space, while length is the measurement of how long something is.
Key Differences
Long is an adjective or adverb describing the extent or duration of something, indicating more than average size, duration, or distance. Length, on the other hand, is a noun that quantifies the extent of something from end to end, typically used in physical measurements.
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Nov 27, 2023
Long is often used in a comparative sense, such as in expressions like "longer than," to indicate relative size or duration. Length, in contrast, is a specific measurement and is usually accompanied by a unit of measure, such as inches, feet, or meters.
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Nov 27, 2023
Long can also imply a figurative duration or extent, as in "a long time" or "a long way." Length, however, strictly pertains to a tangible, measurable dimension and is more objective.
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Nov 27, 2023
In usage, long is an attribute or description, often subjective, used in various contexts. Length is more technical, mostly used in contexts requiring precision, such as mathematics, science, and construction.
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Nov 27, 2023
Long can have emotional or qualitative connotations, like in "a long-awaited moment." Conversely, Length is neutral and factual, devoid of emotional or qualitative attributes.
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Nov 27, 2023
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Long and Length Definitions
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Long
Having the greater length of two or the greatest length of several
The long edge of the door.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
The state, quality, or fact of being long. See Usage Note at strength.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Length
The measurement of the extent of something along its greatest dimension
The length of the boat.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Length
A piece, often of a standard size, that is normally measured along its greatest dimension
A length of cloth.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Length
A measure used as a unit to estimate distances
Won the race by a length.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Length
Extent or distance from beginning to end
The length of a novel.
The length of a journey.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Extending or landing beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal
Her first serve was long.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
The amount of time between specified moments; the duration
The length of a meeting.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
Often lengths Extent or degree to which an action or policy is carried
Went to great lengths to prove his point.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Concerned with distant issues; far-reaching
Took a long view of the geopolitical issues.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Having an abundance or excess of
"politicians whose résumés are long on competence" (Margaret Garrard Warner).
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Length
The vertical extent of a garment. Often used in combination
Knee-length.
Floor-length.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Having a holding of a commodity or security in expectation of a rise in price
Long on soybeans.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(Linguistics) Having a comparatively great duration. Used of a vowel or consonant.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(Grammar) Relating to or being the English speech sounds (ā, ē, ī, ō, ) that are tense vowels or diphthongs.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Length
(horse racing) The length of a horse, used to indicate the distance between horses at the end of a race.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Being of relatively great duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
(cricket) The distance down the pitch that the ball bounces on its way to the batsman.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
At or to a considerable distance; far
She walked long past the end of the trail.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
Part of something that is long; a physical piece of something.
A length of rope
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
At a point of time distant from that referred to
That event took place long before we were born.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
The longest, or longer, dimension of any object, in distinction from breadth or width; extent of anything from end to end; the longest line which can be drawn through a body, parallel to its sides; as, the length of a church, or of a ship; the length of a rope or line.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
A portion of space or of time considered as measured by its length; - often in the plural.
Large lengths of seas and shores.
The future but a length behind the past.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
One who acquires holdings in a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in price.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Length
The quality or state of being long, in space or time; extent; duration; as, some sea birds are remarkable for the length of their wings; he was tired by the length of the sermon, and the length of his walk.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
A single piece or subdivision of a series, or of a number of long pieces which may be connected together; as, a length of pipe; a length of fence.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
Detail or amplification; unfolding; continuance as, to pursue a subject to a great length.
May Heaven, great monarch, still augment your blissWith length of days, and every day like this.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Long
To have an earnest, heartfelt desire, especially for something beyond reach.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Having much distance from one terminating point on an object or an area to another terminating point usually applies to horizontal dimensions; see Usage Notes below.
It's a long way from the Earth to the Moon.
How long was your newborn baby?
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Long
Having great duration.
The pyramids of Egypt have been around for a long time.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
The linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest horizontal dimension of something that is fixed in place;
The length of the table was 5 feet
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Seemingly lasting a lot of time, because it is boring or tedious or tiring.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
Continuance in time;
The ceremony was of short duration
He complained about the length of time required
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
The property of being the extent of something from beginning to end;
The editor limited the length of my article to 500 words
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(finance) Possessing or owning stocks, bonds, commodities or other financial instruments with the aim of benefiting of the expected rise in their value.
I'm long in DuPont.
I have a long position in DuPont.
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
Size of the gap between two places;
The distance from New York to Chicago
He determined the length of the shortest line segment joining the two points
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(cricket) Of a fielding position, close to the boundary (or closer to the boundary than the equivalent short position).
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Oct 19, 2023
Length
A section of something that is long and narrow;
A length of timber
A length of tubing
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Landing beyond the baseline, and therefore deemed to be out.
That forehand is long.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(gambling) Of betting odds, offering a very large return for a small wager.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in time; far away.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(music) A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(programming) A long integer variable, twice the size of an int, two or four times the size of a short, and half of a long long.
A long is typically 64 bits in a 32-bit environment.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Long
(finance) An entity with a long position in an asset.
Every uptick made the longs cheer.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(intransitive) To await, aspire, desire greatly (something to occur or to be true).
She longed for him to come back.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
For a long duration.
Will this interview take long?
Paris has long been considered one of the most cultured cities in the world.
She has known us as long as you
I haven't long to live.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Drawn out in a line, or in the direction of length; protracted; extended; as, a long line; - opposed to short, and distinguished from broad or wide.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Drawn out or extended in time; continued through a considerable tine, or to a great length; as, a long series of events; a long debate; a long drama; a long history; a long book.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Slow in passing; causing weariness by length or duration; lingering; as, long hours of watching.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in time; far away.
The we may us reserve both fresh and strongAgainst the tournament, which is not long.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Having a length of the specified measure; of a specified length; as, a span long; a yard long; a mile long, that is, extended to the measure of a mile, etc.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Having a supply of stocks or goods; prepared for, or depending for a profit upon, advance in prices; as, long of cotton. Hence, the phrases: to be, or go, long of the market, to be on the long side of the market, to hold products or securities for a rise in price, esp. when bought on a margin. Contrasted to short.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
The longest dimension; the greatest extent; - in the phrase, the long and the short of it, that is, the sum and substance of it.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
To a great extent in time; during a long time.
They that tarry long at the wine.
When the trumpet soundeth long.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
At a point of duration far distant, either prior or posterior; as, not long before; not long after; long before the foundation of Rome; long after the Conquest.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Through the whole extent or duration.
The bird of dawning singeth all night long.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Through an extent of time, more or less; - only in question; as, how long will you be gone?
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
To feel a strong or morbid desire or craving; to wish for something with eagerness; - followed by an infinitive, or by for or after.
I long to see you.
I have longed after thy precepts.
I have longed for thy salvation.
Nicomedes, longing for herrings, was supplied with fresh ones . . . at a great distance from the sea.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
To belong; - used with to, unto, or for.
The labor which that longeth unto me.
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
A comparatively long time;
This won't take long
They haven't been gone long
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified;
A long life
A long boring speech
A long time
A long friendship
A long game
Long ago
An hour long
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Long
Primarily spatial sense; of relatively great or greater than average spatial extension or extension as specified;
A long road
A long distance
Contained many long words
Ten miles long
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Of relatively great height;
A race of long gaunt men
Looked out the long French windows
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Holding securities or commodities in expectation of a rise in prices;
Is long on coffee
A long position in gold
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Of speech sounds (especially vowels) of relatively long duration (as e.g. the English vowel sounds in `bate', `beat', `bite', `boat', `boot')
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
(of memory) having greater than average range;
A long memory especially for insults
A tenacious memory
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Planning prudently for the future;
Large goals that required farsighted policies
Took a long view of the geopolitical issues
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
Having or being more than normal or necessary:
Long on brains
In long supply
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Oct 19, 2023
Long
For an extended time or at a distant time;
A promotion long overdue
Something long hoped for
His name has long been forgotten
Talked all night long
How long will you be gone?
Arrived long before he was expected
It is long after your bedtime
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Long
Prolonged in Time
He longed for a long vacation after a year of hard work.
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Nov 27, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
What does "long" describe?
"Long" describes something that is extended in time or space.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Can "length" imply duration?
Yes, but it's typically used for physical dimensions.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
How is "length" used?
"Length" is used as a noun to specify the measurement of something from end to end.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Is "length" always physical?
Yes, "length" refers to physical measurements.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Can "long" be used for time?
Yes, "long" can describe an extended duration in time.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Does "long" have a comparative form?
Yes, "longer" is the comparative form of "long."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Is "length" used in mathematics?
Yes, it's commonly used in mathematical contexts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Can "length" be used in literature?
Yes, especially in descriptive contexts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Is "long" used in common phrases?
Yes, like "long story short" or "long time no see."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Are "long" and "length" interchangeable?
No, they serve different grammatical functions.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
Can "length" describe time in daily speech?
Rarely, it's more for physical dimensions.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 27, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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