long-range
Americanadjective
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considering or extending into the future.
a long-range outlook; long-range plans.
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designed to cover or operate over a long distance.
long-range rockets.
adjective
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of or extending into the future
a long-range weather forecast
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(of vehicles, aircraft, etc) capable of covering great distances without refuelling
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(of weapons) made to be fired at a distant target
Etymology
Origin of long-range
First recorded in 1865–70
Explanation
Something long-range has a long reach or can be used over long distances. A long-range missile is a weapon that travels a long way before it explodes. Long-range aircraft can travel for many miles, and the long-range travel of many migratory birds spans nearly as large a distance. You can also use the adjective long-range to describe a large span of time, rather than distance: "My long-range plans include running for President when I'm in my fifties or sixties."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
California-based Zone 5 designs and manufactures mass-producible munitions, including the ‘Rusty Dagger’ long-range strike and ‘White Spike’ air defense missiles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
While these long-range predictions give an idea of overall UK conditions over the three-month period of summer, in recent years we have seen more variability in rainfall patterns.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
"It highlights precise, long-range, automated conventional firepower capable of overwhelming the South even below the nuclear threshold," Hong added.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Air Force would provide only half the previously committed number of long-range bombers and two-thirds the number of fighter jets.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
“Under any circumstances,” he said, “it would be expected that some portion of the Soviet long-range nuclear force would strike the United States.”
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
