Word
longtime
Phoneticslong·time, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɫɔŋˌtaɪm/
UK/lˈɒŋtaɪm/
Definitions
01lasting for many years
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describing someone or something that has been in a certain state for a long time.
adj. having existed or persisted for a significant period. Almost exclusively used as an attributive adjective before the noun.
“The two women were longtime friends who met in primary school.”
“The senator's longtime advisor resigned yesterday, ending a professional partnership that had spanned three decades of political campaigning.”
Usage
Usually placed immediately before the noun it modifies.
Pitfall
They have been longtime together.
They have been together for a long time.
Use 'longtime' as an adjective before a noun (longtime friends), not as an adverbial phrase at the end of a sentence.
02for a long duration
C2 · Proficiency Informal · Dialect
adv. for a long time.
adv. for a long period of time. This adverbial use is less common than the adjective and often appears in specific dialects or informal contexts.
“I haven't seen him longtime.”
“The locals claim that the old mill has stood empty longtime, though records suggest it was operational until the late nineties.”
Usage
Often functions as a shortened form of 'for a long time' in casual speech.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “longtime” in context.
Real-World Examples
“His longtime OHSU colleague and coauthor Nancy Haigwood, Ph.D., believed that pairing leronlimab with existing HIV therapies could prove more effective.” “To advertise these products, he asked Patti Serrano , longtime friend and business partner, to drive up and down the West Coast and knock on people’s doors.” Etymology
From long + time.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Pre-1
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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