duration
juu-RAY-shuhn
Duration (noun) means the length of time something lasts. Example: “The duration of the film is almost three hours, including the opening credits.”
noun
1
The length of time something lasts.
"The duration of the film is almost three hours, including the opening credits."
"The flight has a duration of about nine hours."
"She stayed for the entire duration of the meeting."
How to use duration
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow long something takes or lasts, from start to finish.
Common pairings
for the duration of
short duration
duration of the contract
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Word forms
- Plural
- durations
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The _____ of the film is almost three hours, including the opening credits.
Etymology
From Old French duracion, ultimately from Latin durare, "to last."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for duration
region
ablation
allusion
emulsion
ideation
novation
diffusion
elocution
extension
oxidation
perfusion
selection
See all rhymes for duration →
Frequently asked questions
What does “duration” mean?
The word “duration” means the length of time something lasts. In plain terms, how long something takes or lasts, from start to finish.
How do you pronounce “duration”?
“Duration” is pronounced juu-RAY-shuhn (/dəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ in IPA).
How do you use “duration” in a sentence?
Here is “duration” used in a sentence: “The flight has a duration of about nine hours.”
What part of speech is “duration”?
“Duration” is a noun.
Where does the word “duration” come from?
The word “duration” comes from Latin. From Old French duracion, ultimately from Latin durare, "to last.".
Is “duration” a common word?
“Duration” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
What is the difference between duration and length?
Both can describe how much of something there is, but duration refers specifically to how long an event or state lasts in time, as in 'the duration of the flight.' Length can mean the same thing but also refers to physical distance or size, which duration never does.
When should you use duration instead of period?
Use duration to stress the total amount of time something continues, and period when you mean a defined stretch with a clear start and end. 'For the duration of the meeting' means throughout the whole time it lasts, however long that turns out to be.
What prepositions and words commonly go with duration?
The most common collocation is 'for the duration of,' as in 'for the duration of the war.' Duration also pairs naturally with adjectives like short, long, average, and entire, and takes 'of' to name what is being timed.
Is duration a formal word?
Duration is a neutral-to-formal word common in technical, legal, and scientific contexts, such as the duration of a treatment or a contract. In everyday speech people often prefer the plainer phrase 'how long.'
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