in the long run

Idioms and Phrases

Over a lengthy period of time, in the end. For example, He realized that in the long run, their argument wouldn't seem so awful . This expression, which originated as at the long run in the early 1600s, presumably alludes to a runner who continues on his course to the end. Economist John Maynard Keynes used it in a much-quoted quip about economic planning: “In the long run we are all dead.” The antonym, in the short run , meaning “over a short period of time,” dates only from the 1800s. The novelist George Eliot used both in a letter (October 18, 1879): “Mrs. Healy's marriage is surely what you expected in the long or short run.”

Example Sentences

“Antipathy and hopelessness really doesn’t serve us in the long run.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It might seem counter-intuitive, but allowing the congestion to persist and focussing on improving infrastructure for pedestrians will help solve the traffic problem in the long run," she says.

From BBC

But his nomination has alarmed many public health and medical officials who say they are worried that the solutions Kennedy might deem appropriate could undermine Americans’ health in the long run.

From Los Angeles Times

Any money overpaid does count towards the full repayment of the loan, and may save graduates money in the long run on interest.

From BBC

"There's also not much research on how these renewable energy farms will impact the state's climate and ecology in the long run," he says.

From BBC

Related Words

• already
• belatedly
• eventually
• someday
• sooner or later
• subsequently
• ultimately