long time far

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "long time far" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It seems to be an incomplete or incorrect expression, and without additional context, it is difficult to determine its intended use. Example: "It's been a long time far from home."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The euro zone nations "took a long time, far too long" to agree to support their most heavily indebted members.

The New York Times

About the artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) lived for a surprisingly long time, far into the 20th century.

Independent

It has taken a long time, far too long, but politicians seem finally to have realized how catastrophically expensive it is for the United States to lock up more people than any other country on the planet.

Huffington Post

15,000 years is a long time — far longer than both the 10,000-year communication gap at Yucca Mountain and also what was previously thought to be the lifespan of a language (9,000 years or so) — but not long enough, apparently, to sever us from the core connection, the words that give shape to who we are.

Los Angeles Times

Pop may have described him as, "My best friend" in the past day, but Asheton was for a long time far more ambivalent about Iggy, widely quoting what Ig had said at the time of the re-issue of Raw Power: "The Ashetons?

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Pope "has kind of an empire of discount stores and is a long-time far right activist," said Mayer.

Huffington Post

The Marvelverse mythos is much more current and pertinent than that which happened "a long time ago, far far away".

Huffington Post

Forty-five years is a long time, as far as choreographic careers go — long enough, in Lar Lubovitch's case, to have created more than 100 works.

The New York Times - Arts

"The apology that we have been waiting for a long time came far too late," said one protester, Ozge Cesur, 26, as her friends nodded in agreement.

The New York Times

We'll make sure that that answer is something that feels like it was something that happened a long time ago, far away, and we're just telling you what happened".

Independent

Not that it's time to ring the death knell for jeans quite yet – spring/summer 2015 menswear catwalk was full of designer denim, for the first time in a long time, as far as the eye could see.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

If you mean that something is spatially distant and will also take a significant amount of time to reach, consider rephrasing to clarify both the distance and the time, such as "a long trip to a faraway place".

Common error

Avoid using "long time far" as a direct substitute for phrases like "a long way off" or "a long time ago". The phrasing is not idiomatic and can confuse readers. Ensure your wording accurately reflects whether you're referring to time, distance, or both separately.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "long time far" functions as an attempt to describe both a temporal duration and spatial or figurative distance. However, as Ludwig AI points out, this phrasing is not grammatically correct or idiomatic in standard English. Correct examples typically separate these concepts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "long time far" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and is not a standard idiom in English. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's better to use established phrases like "a long time ago" or "a long way off", depending on whether you want to express temporal duration, spatial distance, or a combination of both. While the phrase appears in some contexts, primarily in News & Media and Science, its usage is infrequent and can lead to confusion. For clarity and correctness, opt for more conventional alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

considerable time away

Combines both a substantial duration and the idea of being separated or distant.

far off time

Emphasizes the remoteness of a specific point in time.

a long time ago

Indicates an event that occurred in the distant past.

long way off

Focuses on distance, whether literal or figurative, rather than a period of time.

in the distant past

Similar to "a long time ago", but with more emphasis on the past.

distant future

Highlights a future period that is temporally remote.

remote time

Focuses on the isolation of time.

long-term future

Highlights future timeframe that is extended.

a significant duration

Stresses the length of a period without specifying direction or distance.

long duration

Similar to "a significant duration", simply emphasizing the length of time.

FAQs

How can I correctly express a long duration and great distance in one phrase?

While "long time far" is not grammatically correct, consider using phrases like "long way off" if you're referring to something distant either in time or space. You may also split them into two separate concepts for maximum understanding.

What are some alternatives to "long time far" when referring to the past?

When referring to the past, more appropriate alternatives include "a long time ago", "in the distant past", or simply "long ago".

Is "long time far" ever correct in any context?

Although uncommon, you might encounter contexts where it could be interpreted, such as "It's been a long time far from home", but such phrasing is not standard and can be improved for clarity.

What's the difference between "long time ago" and the incorrect phrase "long time far"?

"Long time ago" is an established idiom for referring to events in the distant past. "Long time far", however, lacks conventional use and is generally considered ungrammatical.