short-form

American  

[shawrt-fawrm] / ˈʃɔrtˌfɔrm /

Or shortform

adjective

1. noting or relating to journalistic content or a genre of journalism characterized by short articles.

2. noting or relating to other types of print or visual media characterized by content that is short in length.

   short-form video clips.

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noun

1. journalistic or other media content so characterized.

Etymology

Origin of short-form

short ( def. ) + form ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does short-form compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• short-form vs. long-form

Example Sentences

Meta’s ad business is seeing a lift, thanks to the success of new ad offerings, including the short-form video format Reels, and the broader boost that artificial intelligence has provided.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Melissa McCarthy is no stranger to dropping into a short-form entertainment format and blowing audiences away with her comedic talents; she does it all the time when she guest hosts on “Saturday Night Live.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026

It’s hard not to be convinced—or swayed—by what one sees via short-form videos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

When my friends asked me why I preferred TikTok to Reels, their short-form platform of choice, I said, “My TikTok algorithm knows me better than I know myself.”

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2026

In some instances, no short-form name exists - then the long-form name must serve for all usages.

From The 1992 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency