long-term
Americanadjective
-
covering a relatively long period of time.
a long-term lease.
-
maturing over or after a relatively long period of time.
a long-term loan; a long-term bond.
-
(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
-
lasting, staying, or extending over a long time
long-term prospects
-
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.
Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever can range from fever and a rash to long-term effects that include damage to internal organs or neurological disorders.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
She found most saw it "as a one-time payment, not as a long-term investment into raising children."
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Meanwhile, the firm believes Firefly Aerospace is among the top commercial space companies and that its exposure to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s, or NASA, lunar base plans could yield long-term growth.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
Judge cites a client who says he and his wife will move to Vietnam if one of them needs long-term care.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
“Do you understand the long-term issues of a cross-country run like you’re planning? Muscle damage, oxidative stress, enlargement of the heart, knee damage, hip and pelvis misalignment, should I go on?”
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
