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 have a long-term relationship with a traditional bank, but I gave my son the choice of where he wanted to open a credit card,” she said.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
The project targets a long-term frustration for military officials: Different weapons systems aren’t always designed to talk to each other.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The big question is whether the government adds more debt that expires in the short- or long-term, a key factor that drives prices and yields.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
Her statement went on: "We want to work with government to establish a permanent long-term plan that will deliver permanently lower bills, a fairer system and ultimately protect this treasured sector."
From BBC • May 4, 2026
It remains unclear how many people will suffer long-term effects from radiation exposure as a result of the Fukushima meltdowns.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
