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.
Last Wednesday, the Treasury Department said it would at least double buybacks for long-term bonds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The 23-year-old is expected to undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract at the City Ground this week.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
He also cast doubt on the long-term future of three VW plants and an Audi factory, all in Germany, while stressing the company was searching for ways to keep them open into the 2030s.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
And that long-term view is shared by Ed Clissold, the chief U.S. strategist at Ned Davis Research.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Leah still earned enough to keep her own apartment where she led private séances mostly for long-term clients.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
