longtime

longtime — adjective

1. describes a person, role, relationship, or situation that has existed or continu

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person, role, relationship, or situation that has existed or continued in the same way for many years

Example

Iker is a longtime supporter of the local library, volunteering there every Saturday.

collocation: longtime supporter

After three decades at the factory, Linh retired as a longtime employee.

collocation: longtime employee

Common collocations
  • longtime supporter
  • longtime resident
  • longtime friend
  • longtime employee
  • longtime customer
  • longtime member
  • longtime partner
  • longtime fan
  • longtime advocate
  • longtime neighbor
Synonyms
  • long-standing

    more formal and more common in British English; can describe traditions and institutions, not just personal relationships

  • established

    broader — applies to systems, practices, and institutions, not just people or relationships

  • veteran

    stronger emphasis on personal experience and expertise gained over time; only used for people

Antonyms
  • new

    direct opposite for roles, members, and relationships

  • recent

    emphasizes short duration since the start of a role or situation

Grammar Patterns

longtime + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used directly before a noun (attributive position). Less common in British English, where "long-standing" is often preferred for the same meaning.

Common Mistakes

I haven't seen her for a longtime.
I haven't seen her for a long time.
As a noun phrase meaning 'many years,' 'long time' is spelled as two separate words; 'longtime' is only an adjective used before a noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

"Longtime" and "long-standing" are the closest in meaning, but "long-standing" tends to sound more formal and is more frequent in British English. "Established" is broader — it describes not only people in roles ("an established member") but also systems, practices, and institutions ("an established tradition"). "Veteran" carries the strongest connotation of personal experience and expertise gained over years, and is only used for people ("a veteran teacher"). Use "longtime" for everyday, neutral reference to a relationship or role that has lasted many years: "Xiu is a longtime member of the book club." Use "long-standing" in more formal writing: "the long-standing agreement between the two nations."

long-standing ↗establishedveteran ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining the adjective "long" (from Old English "lang") and the noun "time" (from Old English "tīma") into a single compound adjective. The first recorded uses in English date from the 19th century, originally appearing in hyphenated form ("long-time") before becoming a closed compound.