Long vs. Length — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on October 30, 2023
Long is a adjective describing extended distance or time. Length is a noun representing the measurement of something from end to end.
Difference Between Long and Length
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Long is a term used to describe an extended duration or distance, often implying something greater than usual. It serves as an adjective, modifying nouns to convey the idea of something that stretches far in time or space.
Length, on the other hand, is a noun. It refers to the measurement of how long something is from one end to the other. This term is used in various contexts, from the physical length of an object to abstract concepts like the length of time.
Long is subjective and relative, often used in comparison. For example, one might say, "This is a long book," indicating its length compared to others.
Conversely, length is more objective, representing a quantifiable measurement. For instance, one might say, "The length of the book is 300 pages," providing a specific measure.
Long is versatile in its usage, often appearing in different contexts such as "long journey" or "long wait," showcasing its adaptability in describing various scenarios.
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Length, while specific in its meaning, also finds its place in diverse contexts, from describing the physical length of an object to the duration of an event, as in "the length of the concert."
Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Adjective
Noun
Usage
Describes extent
Measures extent
Context
Subjective, comparative
Objective, quantifiable
Variability
Varies with context
Fixed measurement
Examples
Long road, long time
Length of a road, length of time
Compare with Definitions
Long
The road seemed endlessly long.
Length
The length of the table is six feet.
Long
Extending or traveling a relatively great distance.
Length
The length of the seminar was two hours.
Long
Having relatively great height; tall.
Length
The novel's length intimidated new readers.
Long
Having the greater length of two or the greatest length of several
The long edge of the door.
Length
The river's length is impressive.
Long
Of relatively great duration
A long time.
Length
Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance.
Long
Of a specified linear extent or duration
A mile long.
An hour long.
Length
The measurement or extent of something from end to end; the greater of two or the greatest of three dimensions of an object
The fish reaches a length of 10 inches
The delta is twenty kilometres in length
Long
Made up of many members or items
A long shopping list.
Length
The amount of time occupied by something
Delivery must be within a reasonable length of time
Long
Extending beyond an average or standard
A long game.
Length
A piece or stretch of something
The surviving length of track
A length of brown satin
Long
Extending or landing beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal
Her first serve was long.
Length
An extreme to which a course of action is taken
They go to great lengths to avoid the press
Long
Tediously protracted; lengthy
A long speech.
Length
The distance from the batsman at which a well-bowled ball pitches
Lewis tended to bowl short of a length
Long
Concerned with distant issues; far-reaching
Took a long view of the geopolitical issues.
Length
(in bridge or whist) the number of cards of a suit held in one's hand, especially when five or more
To open one heart with equal length in hearts and spades is in the modern Acol style
Long
Involving substantial chance; risky
Long odds.
Length
The state, quality, or fact of being long. See Usage Note at strength.
Long
Having an abundance or excess of
"politicians whose résumés are long on competence" (Margaret Garrard Warner).
Length
The measurement of the extent of something along its greatest dimension
The length of the boat.
Long
Having a holding of a commodity or security in expectation of a rise in price
Long on soybeans.
Length
A piece, often of a standard size, that is normally measured along its greatest dimension
A length of cloth.
Long
(Linguistics) Having a comparatively great duration. Used of a vowel or consonant.
Length
A measure used as a unit to estimate distances
Won the race by a length.
Long
(Grammar) Relating to or being the English speech sounds (ā, ē, ī, ō, ) that are tense vowels or diphthongs.
Length
Extent or distance from beginning to end
The length of a novel.
The length of a journey.
Long
Being of relatively great duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.
Length
The amount of time between specified moments; the duration
The length of a meeting.
Long
During or for an extended period of time
The promotion was long due.
Length
Often lengths Extent or degree to which an action or policy is carried
Went to great lengths to prove his point.
Long
At or to a considerable distance; far
She walked long past the end of the trail.
Length
The duration of a vowel.
Long
Beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal
Hit the return long.
Length
The duration of a syllable.
Long
For or throughout a specified period
They talked all night long.
Length
The vertical extent of a garment. Often used in combination
Knee-length.
Floor-length.
Long
At a point of time distant from that referred to
That event took place long before we were born.
Length
The distance measured along the longest dimension of an object.
Long
Into or in a long position, as of a commodity market.
Length
Duration.
Long
A long time
This won't take long.
Length
(horse racing) The length of a horse, used to indicate the distance between horses at the end of a race.
Long
(Linguistics) A long syllable, vowel, or consonant.
Length
(mathematics) Distance between the two ends of a line segment.
Long
One who acquires holdings in a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in price.
Length
(cricket) The distance down the pitch that the ball bounces on its way to the batsman.
Long
A garment size for a tall person.
Length
(figuratively) Total extent.
The length of a book
Long
Longs Trousers extending to the feet or ankles.
Length
Part of something that is long; a physical piece of something.
A length of rope
Long
To have an earnest, heartfelt desire, especially for something beyond reach.
Length
(theatre) A unit of script length, comprising 42 lines.
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?
Length
(bridge) The number of cards held in a particular suit.
Long
Having great duration.
The pyramids of Egypt have been around for a long time.
Length
(obsolete) To lengthen.
Long
Seemingly lasting a lot of time, because it is boring or tedious or tiring.
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.
Long
Not short; tall.
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.
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.
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.
Long
(cricket) Of a fielding position, close to the boundary (or closer to the boundary than the equivalent short position).
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.
Long
Landing beyond the baseline, and therefore deemed to be out.
That forehand is long.
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.
Long
(gambling) Of betting odds, offering a very large return for a small wager.
Length
Distance.
He had marched to the length of Exeter.
Long
Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in time; far away.
Length
To lengthen.
Long
(archaic) On account of, because of.
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
Long
(linguistics) A long vowel.
Length
Continuance in time;
The ceremony was of short duration
He complained about the length of time required
Long
(prosody) A long syllable.
Length
The property of being the extent of something from beginning to end;
The editor limited the length of my article to 500 words
Long
(music) A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve.
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
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.
Length
A section of something that is long and narrow;
A length of timber
A length of tubing
Long
(finance) An entity with a long position in an asset.
Every uptick made the longs cheer.
Length
He went to great lengths to please her.
Long
(finance) A long-term investment.
Long
The long summer vacation at the English universities.
Long
Longitude
Long
To take a long position in.
Long
(intransitive) To await, aspire, desire greatly (something to occur or to be true).
She longed for him to come back.
Long
(archaic) To be appropriate to, to pertain or belong to.
Long
(obsolete) To belong.
Long
Over a great distance in space.
He threw the ball long.
Long
For a particular duration.
How long is it until the next bus arrives?
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.
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.
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.
Long
Slow in passing; causing weariness by length or duration; lingering; as, long hours of watching.
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.
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.
Long
Far-reaching; extensive.
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.
Long
A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve.
Long
A long sound, syllable, or vowel.
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.
Long
To a great extent in space; as, a long drawn out line.
Long
To a great extent in time; during a long time.
They that tarry long at the wine.
When the trumpet soundeth long.
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.
Long
Through the whole extent or duration.
The bird of dawning singeth all night long.
Long
Through an extent of time, more or less; - only in question; as, how long will you be gone?
Long
By means of; by the fault of; because of.
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.
Long
To belong; - used with to, unto, or for.
The labor which that longeth unto me.
Long
A comparatively long time;
This won't take long
They haven't been gone long
Long
Desire strongly or persistently
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
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
Long
Of relatively great height;
A race of long gaunt men
Looked out the long French windows
Long
Holding securities or commodities in expectation of a rise in prices;
Is long on coffee
A long position in gold
Long
Of speech sounds (especially vowels) of relatively long duration (as e.g. the English vowel sounds in `bate', `beat', `bite', `boat', `boot')
Long
Used of syllables that are unaccented or of relatively long duration
Long
Involving substantial risk;
Long odds
Long
(of memory) having greater than average range;
A long memory especially for insults
A tenacious memory
Long
Planning prudently for the future;
Large goals that required farsighted policies
Took a long view of the geopolitical issues
Long
Having or being more than normal or necessary:
Long on brains
In long supply
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
Long
For an extended distance
Long
He faced a long wait at the doctor's office.
Long
She had a long list of chores.
Long
The movie was too long for my liking.
Long
His influence was long and widespread.
Common Curiosities
What is 'long' mainly used for?
'Long' is used as an adjective to describe something that is extended in distance or time.
Is 'length' subjective?
No, 'length' is an objective measurement.
Can 'long' be used comparatively?
Yes, as in "longer" or "longest."
Can 'long' indicate duration?
Yes, 'long' can describe an extended period, as in "a long meeting."
Can 'long' describe emotional or abstract concepts?
Yes, as in "a long-held belief."
Is 'long' ever used as a noun?
Rarely, in phrases like "the long and the short of it."
Does 'length' have synonyms?
Yes, terms like 'extent' or 'duration' are similar.
Is 'long' used in mathematical contexts?
Rarely, it's more common in everyday language.
Does 'length' refer to horizontal distance only?
No, it can refer to any linear measurement.
Can 'length' be used as a verb?
No, 'length' is a noun and not used as a verb.
Does 'long' imply a specific measurement?
No, it's more relative and subjective.
Is 'length' used in everyday language?
Yes, especially in contexts requiring precise measurements.
What units are used with 'length'?
Units like meters, feet, or hours, depending on context.
Can 'length' be used metaphorically?
Yes, but it's more often used in literal contexts.
Can 'long' be used in a figurative sense?
Yes, as in "a long shot."
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
