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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.
Synonyms

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.

short-list 2 American  
[shawrt-list] / ˈʃɔrtˌlɪst /

verb (used with object)

  1. to put on a short list.

short list British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to put (someone) on a short list

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of short list

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

Short list: For the first time in its 92-year history, the men’s World Cup could have some matches officiated by women.

From Washington Post • Jun. 16, 2022

No, it’s just, ‘You were difficult so you’re on the Life’s Too Short list.’

From New York Times • Dec. 11, 2021

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.