in the long run
Preserved but no longer current.
In the final result. This allu- sion is to race-running: one may get the start for a time, but in the long run, or entire race, the result may be different. The hare got the start, but in the long run the patient per- severance of the tortoise won the race.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “in the long run” mean?
In the final result. This allu- sion is to race-running: one may get the start for a time, but in the long run, or entire race, the result may be different. The hare got the start, but in the long run the patient per- severance of the tortoise won the race.
Is “in the long run” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.