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.
The Fed has a dual mandate to keep inflation to its long-term target while ensuring maximum employment in the world's largest economy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
They say the country has benefited from both long-term production shifts under the China+1 strategy and near-term trade diversion away from China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
That was the worst year for American bonds in a generation, and some long-term Treasury funds shed close to a third of their value.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
When shoppers don’t have enough to cover purchases, several vendors suggested that they were open to bartering or offering deals for long-term customers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Its most infamous occupant, and the most long-term.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
