Length — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈleŋ(k)th/

Meaning & Definition of Length

Length (noun)

  1. the longer or longest dimension of an object
  2. a measured distance or dimension
  3. the quality or state of being long

Length (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a wide space or area

    "vowed that he would journey the lengths of the earth to find her"

    similar: breadth, distance, expanse, expansion, extent, field, plain, reach, sheet, spread, stretch, waste
    related: domain, sphere, territory, compass, range, scope, sweep, gamut, scale, spectrum, depth, emptiness, void, extension, latitude, span, amplitude, immensity, magnitude

  2. the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects

    "the length of a professional tennis court is 78 feet from baseline to baseline"

    similar: distance, lead, remove, spacing, spread, stretch, way
    related: altitude, area, breadth, depth, height, rise, space, volume, width, extension, extent, cast, range, reach, scope, shot, sweep, throw, drop, fall, flight, haul, berth, clearance

Related Entry: At length (phrase)

At length is a different word from Length. The synonyms below are for at length, not for length.

  1. with attention to all aspects or details

    "They spoke at length about their plans for college."

    similar: completely, comprehensively, detailedly, exhaustively, fully, inside out, minutely, roundly, sweepingly, systematically, thoroughly, through and through, totally, from stem to stern, from the ground up, in detail
    related: meticulously, microscopically, all-out, full blast, intensively, broadly, encyclopedically, extensively, generally, globally, widely, conclusively, consummately, definitely, perfectly
    near: aimlessly, desultorily, haphazardly, hit-or-miss, randomly, cursorily, imperfectly, inadequately, narrowly, shallowly, sketchily, summarily, superficially, indeterminately, nebulously, vaguely

  2. to a full extent or degree

    "We've reviewed your application at length."

    similar: all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, completely, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, exactly, fast, flat, full, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly, wide, all the way, down to the ground, for fair, in whole, to bits, to pieces, to the hilt, to the max
    related: absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially, abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly
    opposite: half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly
    near: barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially, approximately, roughly, somewhat

  3. at a later time

    "We at length returned home from our journey."

    similar: eventually, finally, someday, sometime, sooner or later, ultimately, yet, at last, in the end, in the fullness of time, in time
    related: anon, before long, by and by, directly, imminently, momentarily, presently, shortly, soon, forthwith, immediately, promptly, pronto, right away, right now, right off, straightaway, straightway
    near: ne'er, never, nevermore

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Length

The most common words with a similar meaning to Length:

breadth, distance, expanse, expansion, extent, field, plain, reach, sheet, spread, stretch, waste, lead, remove, spacing, way

Related Words for Length

domain, sphere, territory, compass, range, scope, sweep, gamut, scale, spectrum, depth, emptiness, void, extension, latitude, span, amplitude, immensity, magnitude, altitude, area, height, rise, space, volume, width, cast, shot, throw, drop

Word Forms of Length

Inflections: lengths

Origin & Etymology of Length

Middle English lengthe, from Old English lengthu, from lang long

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Length

Words & Phrases Containing Length

arm's length, at length, cable length, floor-length, focal length, full-length, half-length, restriction fragment length polymorphism, at any length

Frequently Asked Questions about Length

What does "Length" mean?

"Length" means the longer or longest dimension of an object. As a noun, it is defined as: the longer or longest dimension of an object. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Length"?

Other words for "Length" include breadth, distance, expanse, expansion, extent, field, plain and reach. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Length" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Length"?

There are 51 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Length". Common alternatives include breadth, distance, expanse, expansion, extent, field, plain, reach, sheet and spread.

How do you use "Length" in a sentence?

Examples of "Length" in a sentence: "vowed that he would journey the lengths of the earth to find her"; "the length of a professional tennis court is 78 feet from baseline to baseline".

Is "Length" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Length" is a noun.

Is "Length" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Length" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Length"?

"Length" is pronounced /ˈleŋ(k)th/.

What is the origin of the word "Length"?

"Length" comes from Middle English lengthe, from Old English lengthu, from lang long. First known use: before 12th century.