variants or less commonly decadelong
: lasting or occurring over a decade or about a decade
A decade-long drought in Saskatchewan and Alberta nesting areas has cut sharply into the number of birds migrating into Idaho … Dan Knauss
The renegade gene that causes Huntington's disease has been found after a decade-long search … Daniel Q. Haney

Examples of decade-long in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After a decade-long run as one of the most layered and tragic characters ever to pilot spaceships in a certain distant galaxy, Diego Luna is finally ready to say goodbye to Cassian Andor. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025 The United States and the Soviet Union were bitter adversaries during the four decade-long Cold War, competing for influence on multiple continents and arming their respective proxies from as far afield as Afghanistan, Angola, and Nicaragua in order to enhance their power at the other's expense. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decade-long was in 1974

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Cite this Entry

“Decade-long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decade-long. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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