as long as

conjunction

Synonyms of as long asnext
1
: provided that
can do as they like as long as they have a B average
2
: inasmuch as, since
as long as you're going, I'll go too

Synonyms of as long as

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of as long as in a Sentence

as long as I've got my boots on, I might as well go out and get the firewood
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.
The burden is even heavier in rural villages, where residents have recently endured blackouts lasting as long as 16 hours a day. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026 A student can qualify for help as long as their household earns less than 300% of the gross median income in their area. — Cory Turner, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 This method works only as long as employees exercise constant vigilance—over the machines, themselves, and one another. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 Speed of communication has been essential on the battlefield for as long as humans have waged war. — Steven John, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for as long as

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of as long as was in 1877

Rhymes for as long as

See All Rhymes for as long as

Browse Nearby Words

as little as
as long as
as long as your/my arm
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“As long as.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/as%20long%20as. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All