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

On the men's side, former West Ham star Dimitri Payet and Newcastle winger Laurent Robert are two that fans may remember - but those that make it all the way form a short list.

From BBC

Vinyl Room joins a short list of places where audiophiles can go to listen to music on hi-fi equipment, which many argue is the best way to experience it.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

To cook the same thing repeatedly — to rely on a short list of meals that work — can begin to feel like a failure of imagination, or worse, a failure of love.

From Salon

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

From Salon

Related Words

• waiting list