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.
A few households have remained in the area, describing them as "long-term locals" who are "going to protect our homes".
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Unlike the hundreds of leveraged and inverse ETFs that came before it, the new Roundhill ETF is designed as a long-term leveraged play on the direction of the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 10, 2026
Its price target was marginally reduced from $360 to $355 on uncertainty regarding the company’s ability for long-term monetization in its services unit.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
They also want the court to assert oversight, determining how much pumping should be curtailed and requiring the state to develop a long-term plan under its supervision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Oxytocin and vasopressin control the third stage: attachment or long-term bonding.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
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.
