Definition

Verb (intransitive) 1. To extend or continue for a certain duration of time. This meaning describes the length of time an event, activity, or performance lasts from start to finish.

Usage

This verb is used to state the duration of an event. It is typically followed by a period of time (e.g., two hours, three weeks, the entire summer). The subject is usually the event itself (a movie, a play, a meeting, a sale).

Examples

• The Broadway musical ran for over ten years.
• The training program runs for six months.
• His lecture ran for nearly two hours.
• The special exhibition at the museum will run for the whole of July.

Advanced Usage

• "to run for" + [duration] + "straight/consecutive": Emphasizes an uninterrupted period.
  • The power outage ran for 48 hours straight.
• Used in passive constructions, though less common.
  • The festival is run for two weekends every autumn.

Variants and Related Words

• Run (verb): Can be used similarly without "for" when the duration is immediately following.
  • The movie runs three hours.
• Last (verb): A common synonym.
  • The meeting lasted (for) two hours.
• Duration (noun): The length of time something continues.

Synonyms

• Last
• Continue for
• Extend for
• Go on for

Related Phrases

• Run its course: To develop and finish naturally.
  • We have to let the illness run its course.
  • (Note: This idiom refers to a natural progression, not simply a measured duration.)

Important Note

The phrasal verb "run for" has a separate, more common meaning: to be a candidate in an election (e.g., She decided to run for mayor). The definition provided here ("extend for a period of time") is a specific, less frequent usage. Always determine the meaning from context.

Verb

1. extend or continue for a certain period of time
   • The film runs 5 hours