- the length of time that something lasts or continues
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
du•ra•tion /dʊˈreɪʃən, dyʊ-/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the length of time something exists:Luckily these viruses are of short duration.
- for the duration, for as long as (something) lasts or continues:He was drafted for the duration plus six.
du•ra•tion
(dŏŏ rā′shən, dyŏŏ-),USA pronunciation n.
du•ra′tion•al, adj.
- the length of time something continues or exists (often used with the).
- continuance in time.
- Philosophy(in the philosophy of Bergson) a temporal continuum, intuitively known, within which the élan vital operates.
- Medieval Latin dūrātiōn- (stem of dūrātiō), equivalent. to Latin dūrāt(us) (past participle of dūrāre to last; see dure2) + -iōn- -ion
- Middle English 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
duration /djʊˈreɪʃən/ n
'duration' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
acute
- age-old
- attolaser
- biometric
- breve
- brevity
- brief
- bupivacaine
- chronic
- commensurate
- continuance
- course
- crony
- day
- dissociation
- durance
- everlasting
- fail
- great
- hold
- hospitalization
- hudna
- hyperventilation
- isochronal
- last
- lax
- leave
- length
- lengthy
- little
- long
- longevity
- macro-
- Nigeria
- note
- official
- open-ended
- overnight
- overstay
- parole
- phonecard
- prolong
- pupillage
- quantity
- Relenza
- rest
- run
- second
- short
- abbreviate