for long

English

Prepositional phrase

for long

  1. (chiefly in the negative) For a considerable period of time.
    I hadn’t known him for very long when we got married.

Usage notes

In the following example, notice how for a long time is used in the positive clause, but for long is used in the negative clause.

I remained reticent for a long time, but when I did speak it wasn't for long.

The two expressions can convey different meanings in some contexts:

The car didn't move for long. ― The car moved for a short period before ceasing.
The cat didn't move for a long time. ― The car remained in one place for a long period of time and did not move.

Anagrams

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