conjunction

as long as

az LONG az

As long as (conjunction) means On the condition that; used to say that one thing will happen only if another thing is true. Example: “You can borrow the car as long as you fill it up.”

conjunction

On the condition that; used to say that one thing will happen only if another thing is true.

"You can borrow the car as long as you fill it up."

"As long as nobody objects, we will start half an hour early."

During the whole time that; for the period that something continues.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you need to."

"As long as I live here I will keep the garden going."

Since, or given that; used to point out that a situation makes a course of action sensible.

"As long as you are up, could you put the kettle on?"

How to use as long as

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishOnly if, or for the whole time that.

When to use it

Neutral in all registers. So long as is slightly more formal and more common in British English.

Memory tip

After as long as, use a present tense for future meaning: 'as long as it rains', never 'as long as it will rain'.

Easily confused with

so long as as soon as as far as

Common pairings

as long as you like as long as possible as long as it takes just as long as

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You can borrow the car _____ you fill it up.

Synonyms

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provided that providing so long as on condition that if while for as long as since seeing as given that

Related words

as not if when because while since until

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between as long as and so long as?

They mean the same thing and are interchangeable in the conditional sense. So long as sounds a little more formal and is more common in British English, while as long as is the default everywhere and is the only form used for the time sense, as in 'stay as long as you like'.

Do you need a comma with as long as?

Use a comma when the clause comes first: 'As long as you are careful, you can use my tools.' No comma is needed when it comes second: 'You can use my tools as long as you are careful.'

What is the meaning of as long as?

"as long as" (conjunction) means on the condition that; used to say that one thing will happen only if another thing is true.

What is another word for as long as?

Other words for "as long as" include provided that, providing, so long as, on condition that, if, while.

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