Lengthy

How to spell lengthy

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce lengthy

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does lengthy mean?

1. adjectiveLasting for a long time, or covering a large amount of text or distance, often more than is wanted.

Lengthy in a sentence

• The meeting turned into a lengthy debate about the budget.

• She gave a lengthy explanation that covered every detail of the contract.

Where does lengthy come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word is built straightforwardly on 'length', which descends from the Old English lengthu, a noun meaning the extent or distance of something, itself formed from lang, the ancestor of modern 'long'. The familiar suffix -y was added to turn that noun into an adjective describing something drawn out, much as 'wealth' yields 'wealthy'. What surprises many people is that 'lengthy' is one of the earliest Americanisms: it was coined in the American colonies in the eighteenth century, particularly to describe tediously long speeches and writings, and British commentators of the day grumbled about it as a vulgar new invention. It crossed the Atlantic and was eventually accepted on both sides, now applied freely to time and to physical extent alike. The spelling keeps the silent letters of 'length' intact, including the 'g' before 'th', which is the part writers most often drop.

How the word is built

• length (from Old English lengthu: extent, distance)
• -y (adjective suffix meaning 'having the quality of')