long-term
Americanadjective
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covering a relatively long period of time.
a long-term lease.
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maturing over or after a relatively long period of time.
a long-term loan; a long-term bond.
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(of a capital gain or loss) derived from the sale or exchange of an asset held for more than a specified time, as six months or one year.
adjective
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lasting, staying, or extending over a long time
long-term prospects
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finance maturing after a long period of time
a long-term bond
Etymology
Origin of long-term
First recorded in 1905–10
Explanation
Something that's long-term has lasted for quite a while. If you have a long-term girlfriend, she's been in your life for years. Use the adjective long-term to describe things that are so enduring that they're nearly permanent. Someone who's a long-term resident of Canada has lived there for a very long time, and news of long-term unemployment is discouraging because it means people have been out of work for months and months. Long-term was originally a word describing only insurance policies, in the 1870's.
Vocabulary lists containing long-term
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In an X post on Monday, Currie went to great lengths to explain how and why he differentiates between his short and long-term views on the oil trade.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Plans for a reassurance force for Ukraine were set out last year as one of the long-term security guarantees being proposed by European nations.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Rules 5.4 and 5.6 impair most law firms’ ability to make long-term investments that could fuel innovation, reduce costs and improve the quality of legal services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
She had been moved out of intensive care and faces an extensive hospital stay and long-term rehabilitation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
It was while he was at the Military School at Breda that Descartes met the mathematician Isaac Beeckman, of Dordrecht, who introduced him to higher aspects of mathematics and became a long-term friend.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
