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duration

 - 5 dictionary results

du⋅ra⋅tion

  [doo-rey-shuhn, dyoo-]
Use duration in a Sentence
–noun
1. the length of time something continues or exists (often used with the).
2. continuance in time.
3. (in the philosophy of Bergson) a temporal continuum, intuitively known, within which the élan vital operates.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < ML dūrātiōn- (s. of dūrātiō), equiv. to L dūrāt(us) (ptp. of dūrāre to last; see dure 2 ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms:
du⋅ra⋅tion⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To duration
du·ra·tion   (dŏŏ-rā'shən, dyŏŏ-)   
n.  

  1. Continuance or persistence in time.

  2. A period of existence or persistence: sat quietly through the duration of the speech.

  3. The number of years required to receive the present value of future payments, both of interest and principle, of a bond, often used as an indicator of a bond's price volatility resulting from changes in interest rates.


[Middle English duracioun, from Old French duration, from Medieval Latin dūrātiō, dūrātiōn-, from Latin dūrātus, past participle of dūrāre, to last; see deuə- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

duration 
c.1384, from O.Fr. duration, from M.L. durationem (nom. duratio), from L. durare "harden" (see endure). Phrase for the duration (1916) originally refers to British enlistment in World War I.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Duration

The measure of the price sensitivity of a fixed-income security to an interest rate change of 100 basis points. Calculation is based on the weighted average of the present values for all cash flows.

Investopedia Commentary

Duration is measured in years however, do not confuse it with a bond's maturity. For all bonds, duration is shorter than maturity except zero coupon bonds, whose duration is equal to maturity.

Related Links

Advanced Bond Concepts
Evaluating Bond Funds: Keeping It Simple

See also: Basis Point, Effective Duration, Key Rate Duration, Macaulay Duration, Modified Duration, Zero Coupon Bond

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Financial Dictionary

duration

The number of years required to receive the present value of future payments, both interest and principal, from a bond. Duration is determined by calculating the present value of the principal and each coupon and then multiplying each result by the period of time before payment is to occur. The concept of duration is used to relate the sensitivity of bond price changes to changes in interest rates. Also called mean term.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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