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.
Higher long-term yields driven mainly by fiscal concerns may provide less support, “particularly if investors demand greater compensation to hold U.S. assets,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The research measured cardiovascular risk indicators rather than long-term outcomes such as heart attacks or strokes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
All four nations had above average rainfall but the trend was particularly clear in northern Scotland, which came in 31% above the long-term average.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
In an X post on Monday, Currie went to great lengths to explain how and why he differentiates between his short and long-term views on the oil trade.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
But with his help, I’ve come to see that the long-term consequence of the alternative would’ve been far greater.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
