Long time or longtime? And what "long-standing" means

Write long time (two words) for a period: "I waited a long time." Write longtime (one word) as an adjective before a noun, meaning "for many years": "a longtime friend". Long-standing means having existed for a long time: "a long-standing tradition".

Side by side

Form	Use	Example
long time	noun phrase: an amount of time	It took a long time. / We haven't talked in a long time.
longtime	adjective before a noun: of many years	a longtime customer, her longtime coach
long-time	hyphenated variant of longtime, more common in British English	a long-time resident
long-standing / longstanding	adjective: existing for a long time	a long-standing rivalry, a longstanding record

Quick test: if "a" or "for a" comes before it and nothing follows, it's a long time. If a noun follows ("friend", "fan"), it's longtime.

Synonyms

For a long time: for ages, for years, for a while, at length, a good while; informally "it's been a minute" (see what that means).
Longtime: old, long-serving, veteran, loyal, of many years.
Long-standing: established, enduring, lasting, age-old, time-honored. Something long-standing has "stood the test of time".

Long-standing records

Sports writers use "long-standing" for records that survive for decades. Jarmila Kratochvílová's women's 800 m world record of 1:53.28 has stood since 1983, and Marita Koch's 400 m record of 47.60 since 1985. See all current world record times.

Questions people ask

Is longtime one word?

Yes, when it comes before a noun: "a longtime friend". For a length of time, use two words: "a long time".

What does long-standing mean?

Having existed or continued for a long time, as in "a long-standing tradition" or "a long-standing record".

What is another word for a long time?

Ages, years, a good while, a long while, an eternity (informal), or "it's been a minute" in slang.

Sources

Last updated October 21, 2026.