hourlong

Hourlong is an English compound adjective used to describe something that lasts about sixty minutes. It is most often applied to media or events, such as an hourlong documentary, an hourlong television episode, or an hourlong meeting. In everyday usage, the term signals a roughly one-hour duration rather than a fixed, exact timestamp, though in scheduling contexts it often corresponds to a 60-minute time block including or excluding breaks and advertisements.

Origins and form: Hourlong is formed from hour and long and is typically written as a single word. Some style guides prefer a hyphen, hour-long, particularly when used attributively before a noun (an hour-long program). The choice of form varies by publication and region. The term can be replaced with synonyms such as sixty-minute or one-hour to emphasize duration.

Usage and examples: In broadcasting, hourlong slots are common for dramas, talk shows, and news programs. In event planning, an hourlong workshop lasts approximately one hour and is a common unit for scheduling. The term is less likely to appear in formal mathematical or scientific contexts, where precise time measurements are preferred, but remains common in media and planning vocabulary.