Duration meaning: what does duration mean?
Duration means how long something lasts: the time between its start and its end. A two-hour movie has a duration of 2 hours; the duration of a loan might be 30 years.
Duration vs. time
A time is a moment on the clock (3:15 PM). A duration is a length of time (45 minutes). From 2:30 PM to 3:15 PM is a duration of 45 minutes. Clocks show times; stopwatches and timers measure durations.
How to calculate a duration
- Write both times in 24-hour form (3:15 PM = 15:15).
- Subtract the start from the end. Borrow 60 minutes from the hours if needed: 15:15 − 14:30 → 14:75 − 14:30 = 0:45.
- If the end is the next day, add 24 hours to it first.
Or let the time duration calculator do it, or the date calculator for days between dates.
Other uses
- Finance: a bond's duration measures how sensitive its price is to interest rates, in years.
- Music: the length of a note or a track.
- "For the duration": until something ends: "stay for the duration of the storm".
Synonyms: length, span, period, term, spell, stretch, time.
Questions people ask
What is the meaning of duration?
The length of time something lasts, from its start to its end.
What is an example of duration?
A flight from New York to London has a duration of about 7 hours.
How do you calculate duration?
Subtract the start time from the end time. If it ends the next day, add 24 hours to the end time first.
Sources
Related: words and idioms about time · "clock it" meaning · what is time?
Last updated October 21, 2026.