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.
Spikes in issuance such as the current moves by Alphabet and Meta, and long-term trends such as Apple’s dedication to buybacks, can help you to form your own opinions as you make long-term investment decisions.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
They’ve already begun amassing young talent, though they still lack a long-term answer at quarterback, a position they’re expected to address this offseason.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
"None of this necessarily breaks the long-term AI theme, but it can raise the hurdle rate for investment," he said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Tertiary Education Minister Alyn Smith said the Scottish government was aware a "significant transformation" was required across the college sector to guarantee its long-term future.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Yet the compression brings a compensating benefit: long-term comparisons of regions yield insights that cannot be won from short-term studies of single societies.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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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.
