# long time

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/long-time
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used as part of greeting of two people who have not been in contact for a long time.

## Examples

- Long time no see, how are you?
- I ran into my old classmate at the store and said, long time no see.
- After years of silence, she sent a brief message to her former colleague, simply writing, long time no see.

## Origin

A shortening of the phrase *It's been a long time (since...)*, with the pronoun *It* serving as the initial subject.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.