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• short list
  short list

  noun

  a list of those people or items preferred or most likely to be chosen, as winnowed from a longer list of possibilities.
• short-list
  short-list

  verb (used with object)

  to put on a short list.

short list

¹ American  

Or shortlist

noun

1. a list of those people or items preferred or most likely to be chosen, as winnowed from a longer list of possibilities.

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short-list ² American  

[shawrt-list] / ˈʃɔrtˌlɪst /

verb (used with object)

1. to put on a short list.

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short list British  

noun

1. a list of suitable applicants for a job, post, etc, from which the successful candidate will be selected

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verb

1. to put (someone) on a short list

Etymology

Origin of short list

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Schmid’s reference to inflation-fighting policy actions adds him to a short list of Fed officials who have hinted that an interest-rate increase could be called for if inflation remains stubborn or rises.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Carson admitted that when he was first applying for jobs "there was a short list of options".

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

There’s a special kind of comfort in having a short list of meals you know, with almost mathematical certainty, will land.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

Scientists have now added another to that short list by observing neutrinos convert carbon atoms into nitrogen inside a massive underground detector.

From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2025

It may have been a short list, but Gray thought it was a good one.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose

Related Words

• waiting list