protracted
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- protractedly adverb
- protractedness noun
Etymology
Origin of protracted
First recorded in 1590–1600; protract ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
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.
A protracted Iran conflict and continued high oil prices could mean the sun setting soon on gold’s rally, according to a strategist at UBS.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
And if the war is protracted, the greater the risk of not just the damage to individual countries, but of contagion and global spillovers.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
Two of those three years are essentially in the past because of the protracted negotiations.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
That could change if the disruption to oil supplies begins to look more protracted, private credit problems spread, or other problems emerge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026
Business now began: the day’s Collect was repeated, then certain texts of Scripture were said, and to these succeeded a protracted reading of chapters in the Bible, which lasted an hour.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
