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.
I was all ready to ask you about long-term care insurance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
PayPal, he said, remains focused on maximizing long-term shareholder value and carrying out its turnaround plan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Since the Fed's last meeting six weeks ago, a number of policymakers have been vocal in their concern about inflation, which has remained above the Fed's long-term two-percent target for more than five years.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
I also have a small life-insurance policy, and we both carry long-term care insurance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Think of your two less cups as a long-term investment,” he tells Garrett, who at this point could probably run his own company based entirely on Dad’s cheesy business analogies.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
