Jump To:

• 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.

---

short-list ² American  

[shawrt-list] / ˈʃɔrtˌlɪst /

Or shortlist

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

---

verb

1. to put (someone) on a short list

Other Word Forms

• shortlistee
  noun
• shortlister
  noun

Etymology

Origin of short list

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

short list short-list

It conspicuously added strategic cyberattacks to the short list of provocations that might prompt a U.S. nuclear response.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

A short list of tools, reached for over and over again, until they start to feel less like equipment and more like extensions of your hands.

From Salon ● Apr. 21, 2026

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 ● Mar. 8, 2026

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

Harry saw his and Ron’s names at the top of the very short list.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

“I feel like I’m on the short-list for going there, but it’s really a matter of waiting for the IndyCar schedule and seeing if I’m even available,” Johnson said.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2022

He sought to articulate and protect “freedom in all its dimensions,” which requires going beyond the relatively short-list of liberties the Constitution explicitly mentions.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2022

Trump tells reporters that his short-list for the critical post is made up of Robert O’Brien, Ric Waddell, Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, Fred Fleitz and Keith Kellogg.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 17, 2019

An adviser to another candidate on the White House short-list, former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, 75, said Kelly is also being persuaded to step out of the running.

From Reuters ● May 16, 2017

Apparently, Carson and his wife were on their way to a television interview when they were asked about the short-list for the vice presidential spot.

From Salon ● May 16, 2016

Related Words

• waiting list